FFD December 2022

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By Michael Lane, editor

When I tell people what I do for a living, they often assume that my job entails schmoozing at events, consuming truckloads of samples and dining out like a king.

Some months this is partially correct, and other months it couldn’t be further from the truth.

But, in the run up to this issue, I did achieve this enviable holy trinity.

The first two were taken care of by judging at the World Cheese Awards in Newport last month. You can catch up on all of the action from ICC Wales with our full report (starting on page 22).

After making my way through a significant amount of cheese, I headed further west into the wilds of Carmarthenshire. It was here that I ate one of the best sandwiches I’ve possibly ever had. I’ll spare you the details of its contents here (if you’re curious turn to our Deli of the Month on

page 56) and focus instead on this sandwich’s context.

Everything around this sandwich at Wright’s Food Emporium – the cosy but irregular dining area, the friendly service, the accompanying bottle of in-house ketchup – played a part in making it such an enjoyable meal.

This kind of thing is sometimes referred to as “ambiance” – or at least it would be if I was one of those journalists. But, whatever you want to call it, how the customer experiences an establishment is very important.

And this was crystalised for me on a meal at what you could call a fine dining restaurant (before you stereotype me, it was not a work trip!)

This meal was not as satisfying as the aforementioned deli sandwich I’ve never been into the tastingmenu morsel thing – but it was just as enjoyable because of the way

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Whitebox Cocktails

Grown up pick’n’mix comes in many forms: recently, I heard about a new crisp bar concept which would frighten even the least germophobic among us. But Whitebox Cocktails in cans take the idea of

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the food was delivered. Low-lightspartan-brickwork, urban classy decor, the waiter applauding my wine choice, the chef swapping out my wife’s coffee dessert for an espresso martini. Those little touches mean I would happily recommend it to people for a special occasion, just as I would tell people it’s worth driving across Wales for a focaccia.

Given the current concerns across not just our trade but the country, this approach is surely the way for delis and farm shops to access consumers’ shrinking disposable income.

When times get tough, what does the independent sector always do to keep people coming back?

It’s a simple formula of topquality food, sold with personality, in a relaxed atmosphere.

Stick to that and your customers won’t forget about you. Just like I can’t forget about that sandwich.

sellable level. Picture the scene: a Negroni for nan, an Old Fashioned for dad, a Mezcal Margarita for your brother-in-law, all of the highest calibre, without making a mess in the kitchen. That sounds like a cracking Christmas advert to me. Find out more on p.51

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© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2022. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

I headed further west into the wilds of Carmarthenshire. It was here that I ate one of the best sandwiches I’ve possibly ever had.

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox, deputy editor

Cover image by Matt Horwood

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Finding staff proving to be major headache for retailers

By Greg Pitcher

The fine food sector has faced major recruitment challenges in an ultracompetitive jobs market during the run up to Christmas.

Several specialists described the difficulties they had faced staffing up for the festive period.

A poll of 400 job agencies for the KPMG and Recruitment & Employment Confederation found that candidate supply had plummeted in the UK in October as people became reluctant to switch roles amid economic uncertainty.

Yet big retailers launched massive hiring drives with Sainsbury’s seeking 18,000 seasonal staff and Aldi hunting for 3,000 festive workers. The discount supermarket also pledged to pay store assistants £11 per hour nationwide from 1st January.

Steven Salamon, owner

of Wally’s Delicatessen in Cardiff, said he had managed to find the staff to keep his café open this Christmas, having been forced to close it last festive season.

But he added that he had not quite managed to hit his target employee numbers this November.

“If you ask people for a trial shift, every other person does not come – it just shows how competitive the jobs market is,” he said. “If it’s a Tuesday and I say come in for a trial shift on Friday,

Coffey is made Defra secretary

Therese Coffey became the UK’s third food secretary in seven weeks after Rishi Sunak took office as the country’s third Prime Minister in the same period.

Coffey previously spent three years in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2016, then spent three years as work and pensions secretary under Boris Johnson before briefly serving as Truss’s health secretary.

Ranil Jayawardena was food secretary under Truss while George Eustice served for two years before him.

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, bemoaned

the “revolving door of ministers” in recent months.

“We now need certainty that people will remain in place at least until the next general election,” he said. Given her reputation as an effective secretary of state, he said, “all we want is a commitment and determination to make the sector better for those who work in it.

“We need the relevant ministers to fight our corner on key issues such as the increasing cost burden. I would like to see Ms Coffey engage with us, listen to us and work with us on our shared objectives.”

that candidate may have walked in somewhere else in that time and been offered a job.

“If you get a good one you have to make a snap decision. If you get a gutfeel, take them on.”

Rob Copley, director at Farmer Copleys in West Yorkshire, said he had “never known times like it”.

“We have been advertising a nice office administrator role on good pay, have twice offered someone the job and they didn’t start,” he said. “I think Covid has

made people put their lives above their work. They want every Thursday afternoon off, every other Tuesday morning. You need two people for one job.”

Albion Farm Shop and Café took to social media to appeal for more “courtesy” from jobseekers.

The Greater Manchester business posted: “We want to say how sorry we are feeling for our shop manager Martha right now. We have had a number of people who agree to inductions and don’t turn up, and even agree to starting work then don’t turn up, and unfortunately don’t even have the courtesy to let her know or reply to her messages.

“Please bear in mind how draining this can be when you are trying to organise staff and think you have a position sorted.”

DRS to allow more retailer exemptions than planned

Small retailers in Scotland will be able to opt out of the Deposit Return Scheme under new guidance issued by Holyrood last month.

The legislation is due to come into force in August 2023, with the aim of improving the country’s recycling system. Essentially, it will impose a levy on all drinks sold to be reimbursed upon return of its receptacle.

The clarifications made last month have simplified what was until recently seen as a costly, complex system for both the drinks industry and consumers.

The revised measures include the guarantee of return point mapping for retailers to identify other businesses offering a return scheme and an exemption support service.

Retailers and other businesses selling drinks will now need to submit less evidence than originally set out to qualify for an exemption, and the size of their outlet will be factored into the final decision.

Packaging and environmental data firm Ecoveritas welcomed the updated guidance, with Global EPR director Andrew McCaffery calling it “a triumph for common sense and another step towards a workable solution”.

“I have never known it to be as hard to recruit and retain people. Indies have to rely on their flexibility and locality, and we need to improve the perception of working in retail, highlight career development and make the apprenticeship scheme work better.”

“Some employers offer higher rates of pay, discount schemes, free training – I would love to offer those but it is tough. There are things firms can do to make themselves attractive: you can get to know candidates and understand exactly what would they want.”

“You can’t compete on money, you have to give people somewhere they want to work. We have high staff retention because the guys have variety, serving cheese one minute, learning about wine the next. We need to attract foodies who want to learn. The right people are out there if you hang fire and don’t throw money at the wrong ones.”

ANDREW GOODACRE BRITISH INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

DANIEL WILLIAMS, GODFREY C WILLIAMS & SON

SANGITA TRYNER, DELILAH FINE FOODS

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT... RECRUITING IN THE CURRENT MARKET

Delis and farm shops across the UK are having more difficulties than ever hiring and retaining staff

Delis and farm shops unfazed by Waitrose revamp of “free coffee”

By Greg Pitcher

Independent food retailers were defiant this month as Waitrose returned to offering free coffee to customers.

Key industry figures insisted they would continue with their existing strategies despite the upmarket grocery chain bringing back complimentary hot drinks for loyalty card holders.

Waitrose ditched the popular offer in the early months of the pandemic but has now reintroduced it for myWaitrose members making an in-store purchase and bringing their own cup.

Simon Holland, partner at Washingpool Farm Shop & Restaurant, said the Dorset business was not trying to compete with the supermarket.

“The local Waitrose to us is on the high street in Bridport and its coffee is more of a grab-and-go,” he

said. “We are a destination, a different market, different clientèle – people come to meet friends and family.

“We have dads who go round on a Saturday morning, first to the butcher then to us for the veg and meet the wife for a coffee.”

Daniel Williams, project manager at Godfrey C. Williams and Son, said the Cheshire deli was not “affected too much” by Waitrose’s drinks offer, despite being within 200 metres of a branch of the

Planet Organic plans rapid expansion across the UK

13-strong health food store group Planet Organic wants to expand its UK footprint to reach 50 stores over the next three years, and 20 within the next twelve months.

Led by newlyappointed CEO, George Dymond, it recently hit a £6.25m crowdfunding target to further the plans, out of the £10m projected to do so.

Since Dymond (formerly MD of Holland & Barrett’s international operations) came into the role last year, the company has made efforts to return the store to profitability. Its losses grew from £2.5m in 2020 to £3.4m in 2021.

The drop was said to be down to challenges

caused by the pandemic store closures, supply chain issues – and the company’s acquisition of natural food store chain, As Nature Intended.

Measures to turn the tide have included the closure of three loss-making stores and the launch of a new centralised model with a new distribution centre in Sunbury-on-Thames, to drive efficiencies in its supply chain.

The new stores mark the next step in the plans, to, as stated by the directors, “acquire sites in attractive locations at attractive rents” as the high streets adapt to current economic conditions.

chain.

“We don’t sell cups of coffee so there is little direct effect and I don’t see it pulling too many of our customers.” he said.

“People come to us at this time of year for Christmas cheeses, hampers, roasted coffee

I don’t think they would choose to do their Christmas shopping based on a free cup of coffee. With the cost-of-living crisis, people will choose based on value for money and quality of service. I am not

worried.”

Jennie Allen, who recently opened an outlet of her Bayley and Sage deli brand just a minute’s walk from a Waitrose store on Marylebone High Street, said the supermarket’s latest coffee offer was an “irrelevance” to her.

Waitrose has partnered with Caffè Nero for its latest offer. The complimentary coffee is made with beans certified by the Rainforest Alliance and tea is also available. All 331 ‘core’ Waitrose stores will run the scheme, but not concessions in garages or service stations.

Meanwhile, the supermarket said an IT upgrade had been paused. A spokesperson added: “The system improvements we’re making will lead to even better service for our customers. Waitrose product availability for the week ending 29 October was 94.3 per cent, an increase on last year.”

IN BRIEF

Artisan confectionary brand Fudge Kitchen has given its workers equal equities in the business through an employee ownership trust (EOT), a model used by one in every 20 private companies in the UK.

The Cotswold Meat Company has bought Slatters Butchers in Chadlington, Oxfordshire. The wholesaler’s new owner, Nick Passmore, said it was “a natural next step” within its investment and growth plans.

Petrossian is set to open a caviar café and deli in South Kensington this month, selling the eggs and all the accoutrements, offering up dishes like croque caviar, foie gras and smoked fish platters.

How indies can combat the supermarkets’ loyalty scheme upgrades and vouchers

Experts are urging independent retailers to focus on strengthening relationships with customers as supermarkets look to buy loyalty through discount schemes.

As well as myWaitrose members receiving free coffee, Morrisons has launched offers exclusively to its own My Morrisons cohort, and Tesco has promised customers a bonus voucher of up to £12 when they save their Clubcard Vouchers towards their Christmas shop.

Dr Amna Khan, senior lecturer in consumer behaviour and retailing at Manchester Metropolitan University, said the cost-ofliving crisis had heightened shoppers’ search for value.

“Loyalty offers provide

assurance for the consumer and help to build an emotional connection as consumers see retailers as supporting them through hardship,” she said.

“Independent retailers may not be able to compete on price due to rising business cost and lower margins. They should focus on building communities and relationships with consumers that offer the customer a sense of belonging.”

Bryan Roberts, global insight leader at retail data firm IGD, said the big firms

were keen to drive usage of their loyalty schemes for three reasons.

“Firstly, the rich data and insights that come from loyalty cards or apps can enable better decisionmaking in areas such as ranging, merchandising and promotions,” he said. “Secondly, that data and insight can be sold to suppliers.

“Thirdly, major retailers are repositioning themselves as media owners: with stores, digital screens, websites, apps, loyalty cards and emails, they can influence shoppers all along the path to purchase. Selling this type of service to major brands will create a very important source of revenue and profitability in the future.”

The supermarket chain has reintroduced complimentary hot drinks for loyalty card holders across its stores

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No pleasant surprises for retail in Hunt’s gloomy Autumn Budget

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Independent retailers are coming to grips with the UK’s ‘bleak’ economic landscape following the Government’s announcement of the Autumn budget, an austere £55bn ‘consolidation plan’ focused on filling what it has called a “fiscal black hole”.

Six weeks after departed Prime Minister Liz Truss’ chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng laid out plans to radically cut taxes and increase

public spending, the new Government is taking a different tack, aiming to raise £24bn in taxes while squeezing public spending by £30bn.

Confirming that the UK economy has indeed entered a recession, the chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said the plan would focus on “stability, growth and public services”, and as a result the recession would be shallower, inflation (which recently hit a 41-year-high of 11.1%) would be reduced, and

unemployment would be kept low.

Measures to stimulate growth include a rise of the national living wage by 9.7% next year to £10.42 an hour, and a £13.6bn business rate packageincluding a rate reduction from 50 to 75% next year for retail, hospitality and leisure - and transitional relief to cap bills.

The leader of the British Independent Retailers’ Association, Andrew Goodacre, said the business rates relief was “welcome news”, and a “positive step to support the high street.”

However, he added, “we would like to have seen more done to encourage spending, especially in the run up to Christmas.

“For small independents, particularly in our sector, there’s no getting around it, it’s pretty bleak,” said Rupert Evans, owner of the Denstone Hall farm shop

and chairman of the Farm Retail Association (FRA).

The main contributor would be the living wage rise, which will represent a 10% increase for the lowest paid, but, he said, “will drive everybody’s wages up.”

“Somehow we’ve got to withstand a 10% increase on wages across our whole labour force,” as well as corporation tax rises, “another hit on our businesses”, alongside rising energy costs and squeezed margins.

For Patricia Michelson, owner and founder of La Fromagerie, little of what was laid out in the budget came as a surprise.

“All the benefits from the past few years had to be repaid somehow, we can’t just write it off,” she said.

“We’re all worried and gloomy about things but at least now that things have been said by the Government, we can start

DOWN ON THE FARM

The latest from farm shops across the country

moving forward.”

“The budget’s been done, and now we budget accordingly.”

As the leader of the FRA, Evans said it was more important than ever for businesses to stick together and share ideas, and that, as an industry, “we’re really lucky. We’re not selling sofas or carpets, which are discretionary, we’re selling food - and everybody has to eat.”

Footfall, he said, has remained constant, and though average basket spends have gone down, shoppers remain loyal.

“I know it’s going to be tough times, people are going to be struggling, but we know that our customers valued us massively through lockdown and once again we’re going to be here to provide for them.”

“If you’ve been in business for 15 years, you’ve seen a few ups and downs. You’ve got to ride it, you’ve got to find a way to get through it, and there’ll be good times ahead I’m sure.”

International food and drink conference SIAL Paris returned this year after a four year hiatus, welcoming 7,000 exhibitors from 127 countries at the Villepinte Nord site between 15-19th October.

The most prevalent countries exhibiting at the show were Italy, France, Spain, Turkey and Greece. The UK had just over 140 stands.

In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Own the Change’, the conference was host to Innovation

awards, celebrating progress in the world of food and drink, namely focusing on sustainability. Among them was gold winner ZALG, who makes seaweed cubes for pan-frying; the silver award went to a frozen Wolffia (a high-protein aquatic vegetable) from Thailand; and the bronze to an Argentinian yerba mate kit.

SIAL Network’s general director said this year’s event testified to the agrifood industry’s resilience and “incredible capacity to face enormous challenges: namely, to feed 10 billion human beings by 2050 in an ethical way while protecting the planet.”

The next SIAL Paris is already in the pipeline, and will take place on October 19th-24th 2024. sialparis.com

A pop-up farm shop has r ecently opened at West End Farm in Bish ops Cannings, near Dev izes. Housed in a subs tantial woodenclad cabin, The Piggery is th e first step towards a permanent shop whe re the Naughton fam ily sell their outdoor bre d pork from the ir pigs, grass-fed lamb and f ree-range chi ckens. The shelves are a lso stocked with loc ally sourced fresh veg etables, cakes, brea d, jams and che eses.

Ope n Thursday to Monday. facebook.com/profile. php? id=100084293959339

The High Street in Ipstones, Staffordshire, has a new farm shop in the former butcher’s unit.

The Gibsons, who farm at Sprinks Farm in Horton, will offer local fruit and vegetables, baked goods, cheeses and meat from their own farm. Quality is their focus as well as reducing food miles wherever possible.

Sprinks Farm Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday. sprinks-farm.co.uk/farmshop/

Also in Staffordshire is a brand-new tea shop which has opened alongside The Four Shires Farm Shop Currently open Wednesday to Saturday

offering tea, coffee and cake, the space has been designed with mee t-ups in mind. facebook.com/ thefourshiresfarmshop

SIAL Paris celebrates return after four-year hiatus

In association with Fabulous Farm Shops

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s focus was on tax hikes and service cuts

IF I’D KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...

DAVID HOBSON-CLEVERLEY, founder, David’s Deli, Streatham

Walking home from the train station one day, it struck me that Streatham lacked a deli. People were buying houses here because it is affordable – compared with areas like Clapham and Balham – but the shops weren’t following them.

My theory has since been proved right. After being made redundant at the start of the pandemic I sat down with my husband, Sam, to consider my options. One was to build a business from the ground up. I started looking at what products I would want to sell and from this the identity for the business emerged: a cheesemonger and purveyor of fine British food.

I contacted the developer of a property scheme and was told Sainsbury’s had just pulled out, so a commercial unit was available. With Sam’s help (he is an accountant), I put together a branding pack and projections, and we secured the lease.

I was determined to open before Christmas because of the exposure and the trade that would afford us. We just about managed this, setting up with the bare essentials and opening 10 days before Christmas.

One of the biggest challenges was buying stock. It’s a Catch-22. Suppliers will only give you credit once you are established, but you need stock to get established. So we had no choice but to start small, buying on a credit card.

We made sure we invested heavily in cheese so, that on walking through the doors, shoppers were greeted with a fully stocked counter. In those first 10 days, we took £19,000, which surpassed all our expectations and got us up and running. The shelves may have looked a little empty but, in any case, I never wanted them full to bursting.

We are only a small team of six, but people love working here. The secret? Exceptional customer service. It’s a cyclical relationship; if we deliver great service, our customers will be happy and we will be happy.

The vast majority of our customers are regulars and this helps when coping with challenges such as wholesale price increases. Some of our suppliers have upped their prices five times in the last six months. Originally, we set our margins at 35-40%. However, they have now shrunk to 30-35% on most products and we have no choice but to pass on some of the cost. But because of the relationships we have with customers, I’m not nervous about explaining this.

Customers need to be greeted with a smile, thanked and remembered. It is so easy to get right and so damaging if you get it wrong.

Interview Lynda Searby

Photography Isabelle Plasschaert

CONFESSIONS OF A DELI OWNER

ANONYMOUS TALES FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

IT’S COMING UP to that time of year again, when customers lose their inhibitions in the fog of Christmas. They fill baskets easily and quickly. In my little corner of the deli universe, we see customers we haven’t seen all year and we watch the regulars enjoying that moment of freedom to buy the things they’ve only been looking at for the previous 11 months.

I even enjoy the returning students coming back onto the team, all cocky and confident after their boozy term away at university.

I just love December. Everyone is happy, everyone is keen, there’s no holding back, it’s all about the joy of sharing fine food – and spending money in my shop!

One of the perks of being a deli owner is being surrounded by the good stuff all year round. Yes, it’s still an experience for me to inhale a good oil, savour that first spoonful of chutney or unwrap a beautiful piece of cheese. I’ve never lost my love of these fine things and, if anything, this joy has only grown over the many years I’ve been in my shop.

But, the thing is, I don’t think I realised how special it is for my customers. For them,

MODEL RETAILING

coming to my shop is something they plan and it’s part of their Christmas traditions.

We have people who come into the café in the week before Christmas, almost as soon as their relatives arrive – and have been doing so for many years. These customers often buy specific cheeses or dishes from our kitchen that they have been looking forward to for a family supper that has been a year in the making.

We often get the man of the house in his annual Official Cheese Buyer capacity, unlike

the rest of the year when its wife who comes in. It’s a journey he enjoys and he is damn well going to make the most of it, and buy that pungent washed rind that nobody else wants on the cheeseboard.

Our Christmas order system is up and running. We’ve tried on several occasions to automate it or take it online but, for many of our customers, coming into the shop is part of the fun. They want to taste a few cheeses, see what we’ve got and hear some recommendations.

They like to look you in the eye and see you write that order down. We get a small window into their holidays: how many people there will be around the table, who is controversially not coming this year, who has got a new vegan boyfriend.

Just remember that – when you’re getting fed-up of cutting Stilton, struggling to stack the panettones or falling over boxes of Santashaped confectionery – it’s a massive privilege to share your shop with these customers, glimpse into their lives and grab a little bit of that joy for yourself.

SOLVING EVERYDAY SHOPKEEPING DILEMMAS. IN MINIATURE.

FFD says: The tactics deployed by the bigger retailers can be harmful to you, but they’re not doing it with that intention. What’s more, your customers aren’t embracing them because they want to spite you. All food retailing – large or small – is about meeting consumers’ needs and driving footfall. There’s some proper theory behind what the multiples are doing, and evidence that it improves sales. Not every idea will be right for you but what’s stopping you from trying some of them out in your shop?

With kind permission of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, Germany. PLAYMOBIL is a registered trademark of Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG, for which also the displayed PLAYMOBIL toy figures are protected.

The thing is, I don’t think I realised how special Christmas is for my customers

I

CODE OF PRACTICE

Technical and regulatory advice from the Guild of Fine Food’s Assured Code of Practice for Deli Retailing

This month we take a look at... the causes of spoilage

Raw materials, ingredients, intermediate products and finished products likely to support the reproduction of pathogenic micro-organisms or the formation of toxins are not to be kept at temperatures that might result in a risk to health.

The cold chain is not to be interrupted. However, limited periods outside temperature control are permitted, to

accommodate the practicalities of handling during preparation, transport, storage, display and service of food, provided that it does not result in a risk to health.

Food may be spoiled by:

• Decomposition – due to microorganisms, enzymes, moulds and yeasts

• Pests

• Chemical contamination

• Oxidation – a chemical reaction involving

health.

The guide is available in PDF format and is free for Guild members. For non-members, it costs £250+VAT. To request a copy of the Code of Practice, or for further information, email support@gff.co.uk

Industry View

VHARI RUSSELL FOUNDER OF THE FOOD MARKETING EXPERT

Resilient marketing means being able to recover quickly during tough times and and thriving in spite of challenges.

Nurture your current customers

It is cheaper to retain a customer than it is to find a new one. Your existing customers are far more likely to try new products and ideas and to spend more over time. Studies have shown that gaining new clients is five times more expensive than keeping existing ones engaged.

The benefits of ensuring you have a CRM strategy in place go without saying. Email flows created via your website and at checkout, a segmented database to send the right message at the right time to your customers, and tactics such as loyalty programmes or members clubs are all tools that can help retain customers and increase spend.

View mistakes as learning opportunities

When you try new things, not everything is going to work. Don’t lose heart, focus on what

knowledge you have gained from what didn’t work.

Ask questions like, ‘do we need to try other channels and segments of the market’, ‘are our products still as relevant to the target audience,’ ‘Should we spend more on social media versus other mediums’, ‘are we talking to our current customers enough’, and ‘do we have the right skills and knowledge to improve?’

Be flexible

Anticipating challenges is almost impossible, but there are some things we can do to be more resilient when they present themselves. Consider all aspects of your business to understand if you are prepared for dramatic changes.

Could a review of your marketing strategy reveal gaps or opportunities? What could you be doing differently, and who can help you to do it? Should you review your position, i.e. take a look at the marketplace and how it is changing to figure out where you fit best?

What actions can you take now to prepare for the future?

Things will always change. For the best chance at success, focus on what you can control and build resilience.

Find out how to sign up for The Food Marketing Experts’ Building Business Resilience webinars at thefoodmarketingexperts.co.uk.

WHAT’S TRENDING

3

1 Sbagliato This

a lot of

now, not

much less of a punch. Prosecco replaces gin

the milder drink

this cocktail, but it still strikes that quintessential balance of bitter and sweet. In the US, a Brooklyn brand capitalised on its rise and launched a bottled negroni sbagliato in less than two weeks. What prompted them to act so swiftly? Game of Thrones actor Emma D’Arcy went viral on TikTok claiming it was their favourite drink, clocking up some 40 million views.

2 Slow cookers Slow cookers are having a bit of a moment. Maybe it’s the rising energy costs, maybe it’s families tired with having to wash several pots and pans up. Either way, it serves a lot of purposes. Lately, budget supermarkets have had something of a price war to see who can knock them out the cheapest (Aldi, it turns out). Regardless of your financial situation, slow cookers are helping people cut down on food waste and reduce their carbon footprint. As we move into January, expect to see slow cooker recipes everywhere, from your glossy food mags to your favourite TikTok accounts.

3 Spam Waitrose recently reported a 35% rise in sales of spam. You might assume that’s down to the cost of living crisis, but the infamous canned meat product is not all war-era gloom: in Hawaii, spam musubi, a lunch item consisting of a thick slice of spam laid on top of sushi rice and wrapped in nori seaweek, is held in high esteem. The aforementioned supermarket also revealed online searches for its spam fritters with crushed peas and rose aioli (which sounds a bit more Waitrose) were up 82%.

riff on the negroni is getting

attention right

least because

packs

in

Limited periods outside temperature control are permitted […] provided that it does not result in a risk to

FINGER COVERS FOR CHEESE

Solves a problem for those who dislike cheese dust on their fingers. Never a problem for those who like Grate Britain Buttercrumb Biscuits, whether Cheddar, Stilton or Dorset Red, because the cheese is freshly grated and crumbled.

guide to christmas presents

GOLDEN GIRLS’ SOCKS

Dorothy may be a favourite with her grey coif and polished red nails but the Charcoal, Buttermilk and Wheat Miller’s Damsels have a shine of their own.

CARBONATED FOOD BEVERAGES

Or better, a tasty bottle of red, white or rosé to drink with Miller’s Mondovino: crackers to partner wine.

MINI-HAND SQUIRREL

But just make sure you are first to the Three Nuts, Three Fruits and Three Seeds of Miller’s Harvest.

TOAST-SHAPED NIGHT LAMP

But Miller’s Toast is worth getting out of bed for.

BABY NESSIE LOOSE LEAF TEA INFUSER

Tea-time will only be more refined when accompanied by Miller’s Elegant & English allbutter biscuits for tea. Or should they now be re-named Suave & Scottish?

A merry Christmas to all from the family.

Cost-of-living crisis taking a heavy toll on specialist shops

By Patrick McGuigan

Rising cheese prices, soaring utility bills and staff shortages are taking their toll on cheese retailers, who are being forced to take increasingly desperate measures – including shutting up shop entirely.

The wholesale price of cheese has increased 10-30% in the past six months on the back of milk prices almost doubling in the past 18 months, while many cheese retailers have also been hit by huge increases in bills. A slowdown in trade and staff recruitment difficulties are also affecting businesses.

In Newcastle, the owner of Grate cheese shop launched a crowd-funding campaign in

September to save the shop, after her electricity bill went from £300 to £2,000 a month. The campaign, which received widespread media attention, has so far raised £7.5k and the shop has seen an increase in footfall, which has enabled the business to keep trading until the key Christmas period.

“It was either tell people what was happening or close the doors,” said Moz Murphy. “I know my customers’ names and their kids’ names. I’m part of a community and I was hoping they still wanted me to be here, and they did.”

In Whitley Bay, also in the North East, cheese shop Kork has seen its energy bill increase from around £350 a month to

more than £1,600 – a 378% increase, according to owner Shawn Darling-Cooper. He has since launched a series of tasting events to help meet the cost.

Suffolk retailer Slate Cheese closed its shops in Southwold and Aldeburgh in September and October, respectively, and has stopped online sales, although director Clare Jackson plans to bring back the brand in some form next year.

She told FFD that the current economic environment is extremely tough for cheese retailers. “There are huge cost pressures and it looks like they are only going to get worse,” she said. “Recruiting staff is also very difficult, particularly for a business trying to open shops seven days a week. Without the right team, it’s hard to grow.”

Northants-based Hamm Tun Fine Foods also closed its deli in Whittlebury Park in September, partly because of “the challenging economy”, although continues to trade at its shop in Long Buckby. Meanwhile, Norfolk chef Charlie Hodson shut the cheese room and deli at his Hodson & Co site in Aylsham in October after his electricity bill quadrupled and trade fell.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Joseph Heler Cheese in Nantwich has acquired Macclesfield-based the Cheshire Cheese Company, which supplies over 650 indie retailers in the UK, and has 130,000 customers online. Co-founder Simon Spurrell remains as MD.

Protestors from Animal Rebellion continued to campaign for a plant-based food system by pouring milk on the floors of Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Whole Foods and Harrods in October.

The Academy of Cheese is now offering its most advanced accreditation yet for cheese professionals. The Level Three: Fellow certification focuses on deepening one’s knowledge of cheesemaking and the distribution chain as well as improving on assessment and tasting skills.

nettlebedcreamery.com

THREE WAYS WITH...

Rushmore

This new cheese from Sharpham Dairy in Devon is made with a blend of Jersey and goats’ milk and has a white rind and crumbly texture a little like Caerphilly. The flavour combines citrussy acidity and richness from the Jersey milk, plus a delicate tangy note from the goats’ milk.

English Sparkling Wine

There’s a mild, milky quality to Rushmore that could be overwhelmed by red wine, but is complemented nicely by the buttery, brioche notes of sparkling whites. Champagne is all well and good, but the sappy acidity of English sparkling wines feel like a more natural match. Try Cornwall-based Knightor Winery’s Blanc de Blancs 2015, made with Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grapes, which has a wonderful mix of apricot, butter and marzipan notes.

Green Pepper Sourdough Crackers

The Supreme Champion at this year’s Great Taste Awards was Kadodé Kampot Fermented Green Peppers, which are used to great effect by Devonbased Fresh Flour Company in their earthy sourdough crackers. They’re remarkably complex in flavour, combining floral and fermented notes, bringing a fragrant slow burn of heat and crunch to the rich cheese.

Focaccia

Rushmore is crumbly enough to be used a little like Feta in salads or over pasta. It works particularly well with the earthy flavours of roasted beetroot and sweet notes of roasted squash, and can also be pressed into focaccia with tomatoes, olives and rosemary.

British cheesemakers have long struggled to create a cheese to rival Italy’s famous crystalline classics, but Oxfordshire-based Nettlebed Creamery may have finally cracked it. Patrick Heathcoat Amory and owner Rose Grimond (pictured) have made a dozen prototypes, after watching videos of Parmesan production on YouTube. The 14kg, 18-month-aged cheeses were well received at the World Cheese Market in Wales last month.

Moz Murphy, of Grate in Newcastle, will survive until Christmas after a crowdfunding campaign

Retailer No 2 Pound Street adds British cheese wholesale arm

By Patrick McGuigan

Buckinghamshire-based cheesemonger No 2 Pound Street has launched a national wholesale business supplying British cheeses from regional producers that fly under the radar.

Owner James Grant, who already delivers cheese to retailers and foodservice in his local area, launched the new national business at the World Cheese Market, held alongside the World Cheese Awards in Newport last month. He had a host of famous cheesemakers on his stand, including Jamie Montgomery, Graham Kirkham and Joe Schneider of Stichelton.

However, he said the new business would also focus on lesser-known cheeses, providing a national platform to regional cheesemakers. These include Thornby Moor in Cumbria, Pextenement in Yorkshire and Cobbler’s Nibble in Northants.

“Our USP is that I will endeavour to find and support

small cheesemakers that are often not seen elsewhere,” said Grant. “British farming and cheesemaking needs as much backing as possible at the moment.”

No 2 Pound Street has four vans and makes regular runs to the West Country, the Midlands and the North to collect cheese for its business in Wendover. Grant said the wholesale business would be able to deliver to retailers and restaurants directly in these areas, as well as nationally

via courier. The company has space for 4.5 tonnes of cheeses at its premises, which includes a temperature and humidity controlled ageing room for hard cheeses.

“Small cheesemakers are often so busy making cheese that they don’t have the resources to market their cheeses and expand,” he said. “We want to be the ambassador for these producers and take their products to a wider market.” 2poundstreet.com

CHEESE IN PROFILE with

Ogleshield

What’s the story?

The Montgomery family is famous for making superb cheddar on their farm in North Cadbury, Somerset for three generations. When many stopped making cheese during the World Wars, they continued, and today Jamie Montgomery carries on

the tradition to farm their land and make cheese.

Jamie first began developing this washed rind cheese with visiting cheesemaker Peter Kindle in 1997 to make use of the rich milk from his herd of Jersey cows.

Originally called Jersey Shield - after a 2,500-yearold shield found on the pasture where the cows graze - the cheese had a dry rind and mild flavour.

Its name was changed after being transformed by affineur Bill Oglethorpe, who washed the cheese to achieve a pungent orange rind. Ogleshield is now considered the West Country’s equivalent to Raclette.

Milk:  Cows’, unpasteurised.

How is it made?

Cheddar starter cultures

and animal rennet are added to raw milk.

After coagulation, the curds are cut to pea-sized pieces, scalded at 39°C and washed in warm water.

These are ladled into large, shallow moulds, where they are stacked and pressed with a 25kg weight.

The cheese is brined for 48 hours then washed every other day in fresh spring water as it matures

BEHIND THE COUNTER TIPS OF THE TRADE

Mathew Carver, Funk, London

If music be the food of love, then having a record player in a cheese shop is a no-brainer. That’s the thinking at Hackneybased cheesemonger Funk, part of the Cheese Bar restaurant group, where a turntable and selection of records takes pride of place in the shop.

“We play soul, funk, afrobeat, disco –nothing too commercial or too heavy,” says owner Mathew Carver. “Music makes the space more inviting, so people want to spend more time here. Cheese shops can be intimidating, but this is an ice-breaker. People ask about the music and then the cheese.”

Music is also an important part of the shop’s online cheese subscription with each month’s selection including a ‘music to eat cheese to’ playlist curated by a guest DJ. “In the summer, our Glasonbury-themed box featured cheeses we use on the Cheese Truck (a sister business, which sells grilled cheese sandwiches at festivals), plus a playlist with lots of bands playing at the festival,” says Carver.

thecheesebar.com/funk/

over three months.

Appearance & texture:

It has a slightly moist, orange rind with a supple, semi-soft texture. Its pungent aroma and sweet, milky paste develops into big, bold flavours with rich savoury notes.

Variations:

A pasteurised version is made for export markets.

Cheesemonger tip:

This is a great melting cheese, ideal for toasties and as a British substitute for Raclette. Uncooked on a cheeseboard, upsell it with an off-dry sparkling Somerset cider.

Chef’s recommendation:  Melt over new potatoes and accompany with pickled cucumber and British charcuterie.

When used in cooking, serve with a Belgian-style wheat beer or a fruity white wine.

There are a number of ways you can study Level 1 & 2 Academy of Cheese courses: online as self-study eLearning, interactive virtual classes or traditional classes at a venue. Visit academyofcheese.org for more information.

James Grant’s new wholesale offer includes a variety of British cheeses

It’s all in the blend

Caseificio dell’Alta Langa is continuing the mixed milk traditions of Piedmont in a very modern way.

Interview by Patrick McGuigan

YOU’RE NEVER FAR from something delicious in Piedmont. Bordered by France and the Maritime Alps in the far north-west of Italy, the region’s hills are lined with vineyards and hazelnut groves, while white truffles grow deep beneath the ground in its woodlands.

There’s plenty to interest cheese-lovers too, with Slow Food’s iconic Bra cheese festival held every two years and numerous protected varieties, from Robiola de Rocaverrano goats’ cheese to the crumbly blue Castelmagno.

One of Piedmont’s best-known dairies is Caseificio dell’Alta Langa, which sits in the hills of Cuneo, close to the famous wine region Barolo and the truffle trading town, Alba. Set up in 1991 by the Merlo family, the business specialises in small, soft cheeses, such as the wrinkly rinded La Tur and ash-coated Carboncino, many of which are made from a mix of cows’, goats’ and sheep’s milk.

“Mixed milk cheeses are a tradition of Piedmont,” says director Diego Merlo, who runs the business with his brother Nicola. “There used to be many small farms with just one goat, a couple of sheep and a cow. They would mix their milks so they had enough to make cheese.”

Continuing the tradition is not without its headaches, however, as seasonal changes in the milk must be carefully managed.

“We have three times the problems than if we just used one milk,” he says. “In the summer, the goats’ milk might be low in fat, but the sheep’s milk will be really creamy. In January it could be the other way round. We

add cream to balance the differences.”

While tradition is important at Caseificio dell’Alta Langa, in other respects it’s a thoroughly modern business. Around 25 tonnes of cheese are produced each week –a huge amount compared to most artisan cheesemakers – but production has grown by employing more cheesemakers (the company employs 75 people in total) rather than through automation. A tour of the dairy proves as much, with dozens of cheesemakers hard at work at small vats, while others ladle curd into moulds. “We’re not big and we are not small –somewhere in the middle,” says Merlo.

Many cheesemakers in Piedmont make PDO-protected cheeses but Alta Langa focuses instead on brands. Half of its sales come from exports to countries including the US and Japan, as well as the UK, where Vallebona, The Fine Cheese Co. and Waitrose are customers.

The company also bought London-based Italian food importer Gastronomica in 2019.

The move has made post-Brexit paperwork easier, guarantees safe passage for its delicate cheeses. It also provided continuity during the pandemic, but rising costs are the issue now.

“We’ve seen huge increases in milk prices because of the war in Ukraine,” says CEO Nicola Merlo. “Gas, electricity, packaging and transport have all gone up too.”

Prices have had to rise accordingly, but they are still competitive. La Tur retails at The Fine Cheese Co for £7.50, while Robiola Bosina is on sale in Waitrose at £6.70.

“We’ve seen more cheesemakers setting up in the US and Britain, but we see it as a good thing,” says Nicola. “It shows people are interested in cheese in those countries and we all benefit. It’s amazing how good the cheese is in the UK now, but we offer something different.” caseificioaltalanga.it

La Tur

1

Alta Langa makes more than 25 cheeses, including blues, washed rinds and camembert styles, but is probably best known in the UK for La Tur – a dainty 200g cheese made with a blend of pasteurised cows’, sheep’s and goats’ milk, plus double cream.

Around 1.5 tonnes of the cheese are made weekly, with the three milks slowly acidified in tubs using starter cultures that are cultivated in house. Traditional rennet is also used to set the curd, which is then ladled into moulds, drained and brined. The cheeses are matured for at least eight days, during which time the wrinkly Geotrichum rind develops.

Beneath the paper-thin rind, the cheese has a glossy, melted ice cream texture, while the flavour is full of double cream notes and a slight piquancy from the goat’s milk.

We have three times the problems than if we just used one milk

BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD.

When the caws came home

The world’s largest cheese only-event took place at the ICC Wales on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022 and welcomed more entrants than ever before.

This special report rounds up all the major trophy winners, takes a closer look at the World Champion cheese and documents the latest Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition.

Principal Global Partner

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

When you’re standing in a room full of cheese, the difference between 4,079 and 4,434 might not seem very big. But knowing that this year’s World Cheese Awards once again received its highest number of submissions makes it feel significant.

The 34th edition of the event, which was hosted by the Guild of Fine Food at the ICC Wales in Newport, was also its most international: the cheeses came from 42 countries, and were judged by 267 pundits from 38 countries.

A Le Gruyère AOP was named best cheese on the planet for the fourth time, speaking to the quality of this highly recognisable Swiss classic.

The 12 month “surchoix” version of the cheese made by Vorderfuldigen and matured by Gourmino was billed by the judges as a “really perfect handcrafted cheese,” both smooth and flavoursome, with notes of fruit, herbs and leather. The raw cow’s milk cheese received

Photos by Simon Regan and Matt Horwood

almost unanimous top scores from across the panel of super-jurors, and was described by Swiss judge Christian Zuercher as “well balanced and long lasting.”

Close behind the victorious cheese was a Gorgonzola Dolce DOP from De’ Magi Formaggi, and three cheeses tied in third position.

Among the top 16, a quarter were British, with Spenwood (Village Maid) winning the trophy for Best British Cheese. Devon Blue, made by Ticklemore Cheese Dairy, Gorwydd Caerphilly (Trethowan’s) and Norton & Yarrow’s Sinodun Hill all staked their claim for the title of World Cheese Champion.

Altogether, British cheeses won 148 awards this year, including 11 Super Gold, 24 Gold, 56 Silver and 57 Bronze. Errington Cheese’s Blackmount was named Best Scottish Cheese, Caws Cenarth received the title of best Welsh cheese for Thelma’s Traditional Welsh Caerffili.

There were also a number of submissions

from Ukraine, which was originally meant to host the awards this year.

The Guild of Fine Food waived all entry fees for cheesemakers from the country, and gave them the opportunity to showcase their cheeses throughout the day.

Representing the nation as a judge, the owner of Ukrainian retail chain Cheese Kingdom Denis Priimagi expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said it was an “honour and pleasure” to attend the event, thanking the team and fellow producers for their support.

Aside from the WCA, the venue also played host to more than 30 producers at the World Cheese Market, and to the Young Cheesemonger of the Year Awards organised by The Academy of Cheese. This title was awarded to Aimée Rogers of Buchanans Cheesemonger in London, with the prize including a spot as a judge at next year’s awards, as well as on the Academy’s Level 2 certification course.

WCA IN NUMBERS

The 34th World Cheese Awards received a record 4,434 entries from 900 producers in 42 different countries. These were assembled across 98 tables in a dedicated area at ICC Wales in Newport, in a day-long event organised by the Guild of Fine Food with support from the Welsh Government. The cheeses were then tasted, assessed and scored during a two-and-a-half-hour morning session by 267 experts from 38 countries to determine whether they were worthy of one of four awards. 1835 entries achieved an award this year: 98 Super Golds (included in) 327 Golds, 576 Silvers and 834 Bronzes.

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2022-23

At a celebratory judges’ dinner after the event, the Guild announced that next year’s World Cheese Awards will be held in Trondheim, Norway. It also revealed the recipient of this year’s Exceptional Contribution to Cheese award – La Fromagerie founder, Patricia Michelson.

The competition was made possible thanks to Welsh Food & Drink with support from the Welsh Government, who not only contributed to funding the event, but helped get it over the line despite the challenging circumstances of having to relocate it just six months before it was due to take place.

The Guild of Fine Food’s managing director, John Farrand thanked the government backed group, as well as every judge, sponsor and partner “for all their continued support and for helping this year’s awards to be bigger and better than ever before, giving the global cheese community a day of well-earned celebration”.

“This year’s World Cheese Awards has been a huge success and Wales has been the perfect canvas for this colourful event. We’ve seen more entries than ever before and it’s great to see such a range of styles and regions represented. To crown Le Gruyère AOP surchoix as this year’s World Champion Cheese is so well deserved. The judges in the room today, our cheese experts from all over the world, were clearly blown away by the quality of the cheese and dedication shown by the cheesemakers.”

For the full list of winners, visit worldcheeseawards.com

HOW THE JUDGING WORKS

Judges work in teams of two to three, identifying any cheeses worthy of a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. They assess the look, feel, smell and taste of each entry, scoring aspects such as the appearance of the rind and paste as well as the cheese’s aroma, body and texture, with the majority of points awarded for flavour and mouthfeel.

Each team then nominates one exceptional cheese as the Super Gold from their table. These cheeses are the best in the world and are judged a second time by the Super Jury of 16 internationally recognised experts, who each select a cheese to champion in the final round of judging.

The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, then debates the final 16 in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before choosing the World Champion Cheese live on WCA TV.

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2022-23

LA FROMAGERIE’S PATRICIA MICHELSON RECOGNISED FOR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION

As well as naming the World Champion Cheese for 2022, the Guild of Fine Food recognised Patricia Michelson, founder of La Fromagerie, for her exceptional contribution to the industry.

Veteran World Cheese Award judge and champion of the artisan cheese sector Michelson opened her first shop, with its renowned tasting café and cheeseroom, in Highbury in 1992, after selling cheese from garden shed (a wheel of Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage) the year prior. The second store followed in Marylebone in 2002, and a third opened up in Bloomsbury in 2017.

She wrote her first book, The Cheese Room, in 2001, introducing readers to what she considered to be the best cheeses from around the world, and her second, CHEESE, in 2010, telling the story of the artisan cheesemakers who supply her shops.

Michelson said receiving the exceptional contribution award was “a very lovely thing”, though a complete shock.

“It came home to me when my grandson

said to me, ‘it’s about time, you’ve worked hard all your life, now somebody’s said that you’re good at it, that’s fantastic.’”

“You don’t start a business and go to work everyday hoping to get an award.”

“I wanted to have a business that I could enjoy. I wanted to get up every morning and feel that I was doing a good day’s work and that I was enjoying it, that it wouldn’t become a burden to me.”

Beyond pride for the project itself, she expressed it for her team, who she said “are so much a part of what makes La Fromagerie the place that it is.”

“They have same love for it as I do and they will continue to be the important energy of the business long after I’m gone,” (no time soon, though, she assures us).

For now, she said, “I would like to thank the Guild very much, which has always been very supportive. It’s a great company with a great team. I thank them very much indeed for my award. It sits on my mantelpiece and I see it everyday, it’s lovely.”

VILLAGE MAID’S SPENWOOD WINS BEST BRITISH CHEESE 2022

BRITISH SUPER GOLDS

• Godminster Vintage

– Black Truffle Vintage Organic Cheddar

• Village Maid Cheese – Spenwood

• Ormos Foods

Ormos Natural Cheese Dip 200g

• Trethowan’s Dairy – Gorwydd Caerphilly

• Cropwell Bishop Creamery Whole Blue Stilton (two separate awards)

• Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers Stoney Cross

• Norton & Yarrow Cheese – Sinodun Hill

• Errington Cheese – Blackmount

• High Weald Dairy Seven Sisters with Hebridean seaweed

• Ticklemore Cheese – Devon Blue

Berkshire’s much-loved Spenwood was titled Great Britain’s best cheese for 2022. Already a Super Gold in the 2020 World Cheese Awards, Village Maid’s Pecorino-style cheese is made with unpasteurised ewe’s milk and vegetarian rennet. It is then matured for 9 months, which gives it its natural rind.

The cheese also took the 10th spot in the overall World Cheese Award ranking, joining Ticklemore Cheese’s Devon Blue (in 8th position), Norton & Yarrow’s Sinodun Hill (11th) and last year’s Best British Cheese, Gorwydd Caerphilly (12th).

Other trophies went to Errington Cheese’s Blackmount (Best Scottish Cheese) and Thelma’s Traditional Welsh Caerffili by Caws Cenarth (Best Welsh Cheese). In total, 148 British cheesemakers won awards this year, including 10 Super Gold, 24 Gold, 56 Silver and 57 Bronze.

A cross section of the World Champion Cheese

LE GRUYÈRE AOP Surchoix from Western Switzerland’s Vordefultigen dairy was voted World Champion at the World Cheese Awards 2022.

Made by Urs Leuenberger in the Canton of Fribourg, and matured by affineur Gourmino, the 48% Fat in Dry Mass (FiDM) cheese is made with raw cow’s milk.

Despite its relatively young age, it is strong tasting and full bodied, with bright, fruit forward flavours and notes of chives and cream. Texture-wise, it is a firm but extremely smooth and moist cheese with a creamy curd.

In contrast with a Reserve cheese, which is aged between 15-18 months – when cheeses become more crystalline, because salt crystals start to appear in the paste - the word ‘surchoix’ indicates that it is of an age profile of around 12 months, as well as referring to it being of the highest quality.

UK retailers can get their hands on it via European Fine Cheese, who have secured enough wheels (also available in cuts) for their customers (and a few more) in the run-up to Christmas, with better availability expected from March 2023.

RRP will be £50/kg and cost to trade will vary.

europeanfinecheese.com

THE TOP 16 SUPER GOLD

CHEESES

5 Prolactine France, Tomme de chèvre Cave Jacobine, France (Score: 94) prolactinefrance.com 6 Quesería Artesanal Los Payuelos, Pata de Mulo Curado, Spain (Score: 93) queserialospayuelos.com

9 Prolactine France, Grosse Tomme de chèvre Cave Rousseau, France (Score: 89) prolactinefrance.com

10 Village Maid Cheese Spenwood, United Kingdom (Score: 89) villagemaidcheese.co.uk

, Âlde Fryske, Netherlands (Score: 94) defryske.frl 4 Prolactine France, Grosse Tomme de Bufflonne Cave Jacobine, France (Score: 94) prolactinefrance.com

Murray’s Cheese, Greensward, USA (Score: 92) murrayscheese.com

8 Ticklemore Cheese, Devon Blue, UK (Score: 89) ticklemorecheese.co.uk

11 Norton and Yarrow Cheese Sinodun Hill,United Kingdom (Score: 88) nortonandyarrow.co.uk

12 Trethowan’s Dairy, Gorwydd Caerphilly, United Kingdom (Score: 87) trethowanbrothers.com

13 Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz GmbH & Co. KG, Großer Deichkäse 12 Monate, Germany (Score: 86) backensholz.de

14 F.LLI PETRUCCI SRL 83 MATRU’, Pecorino Amatriciano, Italy (Score: 83) caseificiostoricoamatrice.com

15 Rocca Toscana Formaggi S.R.L, L’Ambra di Talamello, pecorino stagionato in fosse arenarie a Talamello, Italy (Score: 82) roccatoscanaformaggi.com

16 Little Cheese Farm, Gentenaer, Belgium (Score: 81) littlecheesefarm.be/nl

THE AWARDS RETURN TO NORWAY NEXT YEAR

The 35th World Cheese Awards will take place in Trondheim, Norway, in partnership with HANEN, an organisation representing the country’s rural tourism and farm food industry, following the success of the 31st edition in Bergen in 2018. The event will be held in the city’s Spektrum indoor arena.

More details will be announced soon at gff. co.uk/wca

AIMÉE ROGERS OF BUCHANANS NAMED

YOUNG

CHEESEMONGER OF THE YEAR

For the first time this year, the World Cheese Awards played host to the Young Cheesemonger of the Year finals, the Academy of Cheese awards devised to identify the brightest, freshest talent in the world of cheese retail.

Among the six contenders, 27-year-old Aimée Rogers from County Down in Northern Ireland took the title, but the five others - Julia Treloar from Cheese Boutique in Canada, Tokyo’s Seika Chevallier, La Fromagerie’s Joshua Page and Jessica Summer, and Isabel Parker from The Farm Deli - put up a strong fight.

Tasked with four rounds of challenges, a “cut and wrap” demonstration, a defence of their own cheeseboard selection, an “identification” task - where they were asked to give a report of each cheese’s appearance, texture, smell and taste, using the Academy’s Structured Approach to Tasting Cheese - and a final playfully named ‘MasterRind’ quiz.

The competition was chaired by industry stalward Justin Tunstall and judged by Mathew Carver of The Cheese Bar; founder of the eponymous cheese producer, importer and distributor Tim Rowcliffe; BBC Good Food’s Magazine editor Keith Kendrick and Paxton & Whitfield’s cheese buyer, Dan Bliss.

Rogers’ victory secured her a spot as a judge at the World Cheese Awards 2024 and a place on the Academy of Cheese’s Level 2 certification course.

academyofcheese.org

Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths exchanges cheese with Head of the Main Committee for Industry of Trøndelag County Authority, Per Olav Skurdal Hopsø, as part of the announcement of Trondheim as the 2023 host

Heart of Gold

THOUSANDS OF COMPANIES enter the World Cheese Awards each year, but only a small percentage take home a medal. So it’s a special moment for a cheesemaker to find out that one of their products has impressed the judges.

It was an extra special moment for Leónbased Los Payuelos to find out that two of its cheeses – Ybleu and Pata de Mulo Curado - had received the top Super Gold awards at this year’s World Cheese Awards in Newport, Wales. Not just because it was the only cheesemaker in Spain to receive two Super Golds and its hard, sheep’s cheese Pata de Mulo went on to be named Best Spanish Cheese at the awards, but also because it capped a remarkable year that had seen the company bounce back from the brink.

At the beginning of 2022 the company, based in Sahelices del Payuelo, was struggling after sales had been seriously impacted during the pandemic. The owners, brother and sister Francisco and Teresita Vázquez, decided to fight back by launching an ‘SOS’ campaign asking the public to buy 2,000 whole wheels of its Pata de Mulo cheese in April and May in collaboration with cheesemonger Cultivo. The campaign was a huge success, raising more than €50,000 for the company in just a few weeks thanks to a surge in sales from supportive members of the public, who bought the cheese in droves.

The two Super Golds at the World Cheeses Awards were the icing on the cake of what has been a transformational year. “History in the making!” declared the company when it discovered it had won. “We couldn’t be happier. The Super Golds endorse our commitment to top quality and its international recognition. We want

to thank all our customers for your support and for choosing us. Without you none of this would be possible.”

Los Payuelos wasn’t the only cheesemaker from Castile and León to celebrate success at the Awards success either. Seven Gold awards, six Silvers and 21 Bronzes were won by producers in the region, across a wide range of different styles and milk types, showing just how diverse and innovative cheesemaking is in Castile and León.

A case in point is Quesos Lavega in Moslares de la Vega, Palencia, which won two Gold medals for two very different cheeses. Lamerón, which

is made with organic milk from Fleckvieh breed cows, is a soft washed rind cheese with notes of butter, cream and hay. Its other winner was Roque – a hard, raw sheep’s milk cheese with a natural mould rind that is aged for over six months.

The company has been making sheep’s milk cheese for seven years, but launched a separate organic cow’s cheese milk business in 2021. “Winning two gold medals when we have only been making these cheeses for a year is something we did not expect,” says director Pablo Cuesta. “At the time I found out, I thought it was a mistake because getting a newly created cheese to be the cheese you want is a process that takes years. We are excited that the World Cheese Awards jury has confirmed that we are on the right track. This gives us encouragement and desire to continue improving.”

The win will also help the company in its mission to create employment opportunities for local people in an area of Spain. “The more milk from our farms is transformed in the area, the more employment we will generate in the area,” says Cuesta.

Goat’s milk cheeses from Castile and León also made their mark at the awards thanks to the artisan skills of Quesos Elvira García in Ávila. The family business won Gold awards for its hard cheeses Canto Viejo and Canto de Gredos, made with raw milk from its own herd of Málaga breed goats that graze on diverse pastures in the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos mountains.

“Winning an award at the World Cheese Awards is always a source of great pride, as we consider it the Oscars of cheese,” explains director Francisco Alía. “Our cheese is unique

This year’s World Cheese Awards saw a gold rush of medals for cheeses from Castile & León, each with their own story to tell

because we make only and exclusively with milk from our goats. We take great care of their health and nutrition.”

Of course, Castile and León is best known for sheep’s milk cheeses, so it was no surprise to see a Gold medal for another ‘curado’ Pata de Mulo cheese, which is made with raw sheep’s milk by Quesos Gamazo in Melgar de Arriba, Valladolid.

Likewise, Gabino Pérez in Matallán de Valmadrigal, León, won Gold for its traditional hard pressed sheep’s milk cheese Queso de Oveja Viejo. The aged cheese is made with milk sourced

from local farms, which reflect the unique terroir of the area.

“Our region is a steppe area with a continental climate in which there have historically been sheep farms due to their easy adaptation to the environment and climatic variations,” explains owner Gabino Pérez Sandoval. “Our cheese’s flavour is strong and slightly spicy with the flavours of the grass, herbs and cereals that the sheep eat.”

The art of affinage also plays an important part in creating an award winning cheese, as shown by the success of Rueda Cheesemonger, which expertly matures cheeses in a 17th Century wine cellar in Serrada. Owner Fernando Aldudo won Gold for his hard cooked cow’s milk cheese Granoro, which he expertly matures for over 18 months deep underground in the naturally humid and cool cellar.

CASTILE AND LEÓN’S GOLDEN CHEESES

GOLD: Roque, Quesos Lavega

Made with raw sheep’s milk in 1kg rounds, Roque (Rock) is a hard-pressed cheese with a natural rind that develops over at least six months of maturation. The flavour is intense and persistent, but not spicy.

GOLD: Canto Viejo, Quesos Elvira García

A hard raw goat’s milk cheese, which comes in 3.5kg rounds, Canto Viejo has an intense flavour with dairy and herbaceous notes, plus a fruity, spicy finish.

“The batch that I presented to the World Cheese Awards was already two years old,” he explains. “It is a firm, round cheese, with a buttery texture, but with powerful sweet flavours, like toffee caramel, and crystals that cheese lovers like so much. But the texture is very smooth, melting in the mouth, and that is what surprises everyone: a cheese that is very easy to taste, but with a very high flavour intensity. That comes from the refining in a traditional cellar.”

Aldudo adds he sees the awards as a bit like a final exam at school. “They are for me a scale of how you are doing your job,” he says. “A trial by fire. And, oh my God, I passed with a very good grade!”

queserialospayuelos.com quesoslavega.com quesoselviragarcia.com quesosgamazo.com quesosgabinoperez.es ruedacheesemonger.com

SUPER GOLD: Pata de Mulo Curado, Los Payuelos

This traditional raw sheep’s milk cheese has a distinctive flattened log shape that is said to resemble a mule’s leg (Pato de Mulo translates as ‘mule’s leg’). Matured for at least six months, the texture is firm and the flavour is complex with sheepy, cereal notes.

SUPER

GOLD: Ybleu, Los Payuelos

A 10kg French-style blue cheese made with pasteurised sheep’s milk. Creamy with a melting texture and notes of almonds.

GOLD: Lamerón, Quesos Lavega

A 300g soft washed rind cheese, made with organic cow’s milk, Lamerón is aged for six weeks when it is brushed with brine to create the pungent orange rind. The flavour is aromatic with notes of butter and hay.

GOLD: Canto de Gredos, Quesos Elvira García

This 3.5kg natural rinded goat’s milk cheese has a firm texture and clean flavour, which is fruity and malty.

www.jcyl.es For more information, contact: promocion. ice@jcyl.es

GOLD: Pata de Mulo Curado, Quesos Gamazo

The 1.8kg cheeses are aged for 6-8 months and have a firm texture, plus a strong, lactic flavour.

GOLD: Queso Oveja Viejo, Gabino Pérez

Firm, compact and ivory in colour with unevenly distributed eyes, the flavour of this classic sheep’s milk cheese is strong and slightly spicy with grassy and cereal notes.

GOLD: Granoro, Rueda Cheesemonger

A hard cooked cow’s milk cheese aged for at least 18 months in a naturally humid and cool cellar, Granoro is sweet and buttery with a crystalline texture, which also manages to melt in the mouth.

Farmhouse producers of organic artisan cheese, milk and kefir.

nettlebedcreamery.com | @nettlebedcheese

"Simply gorgeous" Mary Berry

Nettlebed Creamery makes three multi-award winning organic cheeses.

Deer prudence

Despite being a very small-scale producer, Highland Charcuterie & Smoke House has stepped into the spotlight after winning a Great Taste Golden Fork for its peatsmoked wild venison salami. But that doesn’t mean its owners will be deterred from going at their own pace.

By Lynda Searby Additional reporting by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

NOT BEING A busy fool is often cited as one of the most important lessons in business. The pandemic taught Isabelle and Richard Flannery this much.

Until March 2020, the couple behind Highland Charcuterie & Smoke House had been going to five markets a week. They stayed in hotels overnight and drove miles across Scotland to sell their selection of smoked sausages, salamis and pâtés. But when the markets closed, they were left with no choice.

“We put up flags on our driveway and brought out baskets of charcuterie to people,” says Cognac-born Isabelle Flannery.

“To our amazement, we were soon doing better than we had been when we were doing all the markets.”

This year, the couple has garnered far more than just local attention, winning a Great Taste 3-star award and progressing to claim the Golden Fork for Charcuterie Product of the Year 2022 with their Peat-Smoked Wild Venison Salami.

It’s a product that typifies the Flannerys approach and the abundant local larder that

surrounds their base in in Kinlochbervie, a scattered harbour village in the north-west of Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands.

Their latest award-winning salami (available sliced in 80g packs, RRP £6, or as whole salamis on request) combines wild venison with local free-range pork backfat and a mixture of spices, herbs and juniper. After curing, the individually made salamis are gently smoked over Highland peat.

Even in this remote corner of the world, the charcutiers don’t have to travel far for inspiration or ingredients, using meats from local crofters, wild pheasant and venison, and foraged ingredients like wild garlic, bog myrtle, rosemary and chanterelles.

Making money has never been the driving force behind the venture, which they started from their kitchen in Kinlochbervie when they left the hotel trade in 2014. They only rely on each other to produce a range of very smallbatch products. For interested trade buyers and consumers, the Highland Charcuterie website has a regularly updated list of what its owners are making.“I like to do things myself,” says Isabelle Flannery. “I don’t want to turn into a factory.”

“People that buy our product comment very often, that it’s because we do it on such a small scale that it tastes so good.”

When FFD goes to press, the list includes the Golden Fork winner as well as: Wild Venison Pâté with Rowan Berries & Islay Whisky (330g, £7), Cold Smoked Scottish Cheddar (200g, £5) and Pork Salami with Fennel Seeds, Garlic & Gorse Flowers (80g, £6).

Rillettes, smoked pheasant and snacking salamis, such as its pork & seaweed Highland Walking Sticks, are other regular fixtures in

the rotating line-up.

Despite the scale they work at, the Flannerys aren’t afraid of growing their business. They have applied for a grant from the Highlands & Islands Enterprise body and are actively seeking other opportunities to double their drying capacity.

“The fact is, we need some money to build a unit, a shed basically, and we need something very heavy because where we live is on top of a hill, there’s a lot of wind,” says Flannery. “We are a bit exposed to the elements, so we need something fairly solid and very well built.”

This would allow the business to service the customers they have to turn away and offer products to more independent retailers at a competitive price. As it stands, they sell to a handful of outlets, including a local distillery, where touring visitors are offered a tasting of the Highland Charcuterie products.

“We don’t have a huge difference between our retail price and our wholesale prices,” she says, “because, to us, a wholesale price would be for a whole batch, and it’s rare that somebody wants to buy a whole batch.

“If we were able to sell more, we could lower our prices, but we’re not there yet.”

Whatever they do next, she says, they will not compromise on their standards. Opposed to seeking private investment, they will push on, whatever that looks like.

“On the contrary, I want to get better at what I’m doing,” says Flannery. “The point of this is to be able to live off it, of course, and to improve everything.”

“In the meantime, if [the grant application] doesn’t work, we’ll try it our way, which is with our very, very limited means.” highlandcharcute.com

It’s because we do it on such a small scale that it tastes so good.

Richard and Isabelle Flannery

Method:

FROM THE DELI KITCHEN

SIMPLE RECIPES TO BOOST YOUR MARGINS

POT ROAST BROCCOLI,

CHILLI, GARLIC, ALMONDS & ANCHOVY

The temperature of this dish is an important factor. It needs to be warm to allow all the ingredients and flavours to sing. What really makes this dish is the dressing. The better the quality of the olive oil and vinegar, the better the finished dish.

Makes: 4 portions

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli, broken down into medium size florets (save the stalks for soup or steaming another time)

130ml good olive oil

2 plump garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium sized, medium strength red chilli, seeds removed, finely diced

1 heaped tbsp (25g) fine capers

1 small tin (25g) good quality anchovies, retain the oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp anchovy oil

16 whole toasted Marcona almonds

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

• For the dressing, put a small pan over a low heat and add 30ml of the olive oil, the garlic and chilli. Season and cook for two minutes until aromatic and the smell of the garlic is prominent.

• Remove from the heat and then add the sherry vinegar, capers, lemon zest and parsley. Stir well, adjust the seasoning if necessary, then add 70ml more olive oil and the anchovy oil. Place in a bowl and reserve until serving.

• Prepare the broccoli by breaking down into florets and then cutting each floret in half through the root. Place a large heavy based pan over a high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Place the broccoli florets into the pan cut face down and season.

• Cook over a high heat for 3-5 minutes until well browned and then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Remove from the heat and allow to rest with the lid on for 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid and put the broccoli florets onto your pre-warmed serving plate. Spoon over the dressing, top with the almonds and anchovy fillets and serve warm.

INGREDIENTS & PACKAGING

Minor Figures is now selling a Barista Chai Concentrate (RRP: £4.99 per litre) to complement its range of plantbased products for professional drink makers. The spiced concentrate which contains cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, pepper, star anis, nutmeg, cloves and cayenne pepper - is organic, and makes 20 chai lattes per carton.

minorfigures.com

Perky Blenders its speciality coffee packaging and released Christmas blend of coffee for and wholesale customers. The Leytonstone roastery’s Christmas blend is comprised 50% Mexican Coatlan and 50% Ethiopian Qantite, both produced on smallholder farms. It has notes of caramel, stone fruits and toasted almonds. RRP £35/kg. perkyblenders.com

Hampshire farmers George Rees and Jacek Walterowicz are the new oat drink producers on the block: their barista-grade (Un) Ordinary Barista Oat Drink is organic, comes in sustainable packaging and is as well suited to professional use as for domestic coffee afficionados. RRP £1.95 per litre, wholesale delivery from cases to pallets via PW Fine Foods.

unordinaryoats.com

Recipe by Mark Kempson, head chef at Kitchen W8 kitchenw8.com

Innovative pairings for the elevated cheeseboard

Britain is a nation built on cheese, we’ve been enjoying it since the stone age and no British dinner party is complete without the addition of a cheeseboard. Comté is the delicious, hard cheese from the Jura Massif that will elevate your status from cheese arranger to tastemaker.

A FOODIE FAVOURITE, Comté also pairs beautifully with a selection of unexpected accompaniments.

Gourmands don’t have to settle for bog standard chutneys and grapes. Why not tempt your guests with Comté and chocolate, Comté and cherries or Comté and chilli?

Comté boasts a range of flavours with some people able to taste everything from yoghurt to pepper. This makes it the perfect cheese to experiment with flavour combinations that will surprise even the most seasoned sampler.

Comté’s delicious flavour originates from the raw milk of the Montbéliarde and French Simmental cows of the Jura Massif in France, each with its own hectare of land to graze on. The cows eat grass and a wide range of plants and flowers out on the pasture in the summer, and locally harvested hay in the winter, producing high-quality milk that gives Comté its very special taste, scent, colour and texture.

Every single day, the milk is brought in from a collection of local farms and transformed into large 40kg wheels of Comté cheese by small village dairies, known as fruitières. These dairies use the skills and expertise of their ancestors to make sure each batch of the cheese is at its most perfect.

The wheels are then moved to local ageing

during the ageing process, regularly turning, salting and rubbing each one with brine solution for up to 24+ months. It is down to their experience and expertise to decide when the cheese is ready for consumption. The cheese’s taste is affected by everything from the altitude at which the cows were grazing and at what time of year.

As a result, every piece of Comté is different. Some have a firm, nutty texture and others a more floral flavour. Most importantly, every wheel is unique and deserving of its own special partner to bring out its unique taste.

Comté has been lovingly made for more than ten centuries. Farmers, fruitières and affineurs of the Jura Massif region of Eastern France produce the internationally popular cheese every single day of the year. It has AOC status, meaning it

been using to create the cheese exclusively in this region, integrating Comté into every aspect of community life.

If you would like to stock Comté and enjoy a slice of the potential profits of this unique cheese, head to http://www.comtecheese.co.uk/ are-you-a-cheese-reseller/ to contact us, as well as downloading promotional materials to support your sales.

If you would like to stock Comté and enjoy a slice of the potential profits of this unique cheese, head to www.comtecheese.co.uk/are-you-a-cheesereseller/ to contact us, as well as downloading promotional materials to support your sales.

Live and let diet

Once the preserve of specialist retailers or tucked away in dusty corners, free-from, organic and vegan items are now considered the norm and command their own sections in most shops. You’ll find plenty of the latest launches in this feature, and you can wash them down with some low- & no-alcohol options (page 47).

Compiled by Lynda Searby

organic, free-from, plant-based

The launch of organic beef and chicken bone broths under its new Home Farm Kitchen label marks Eversfield Organic’s first foray into in-house production. Bones from roasted grass-fed beef and organic chicken are simmered for 24 hours in small batches, producing 100% organic broths that can serve as a base for risottos, curries, stews, casseroles and gravies. RRP £5.50 per 500g.   eversfieldorganic.co.uk

Projuice’s new preportioned Vegan Milkshake Tubs take the fuss out of serving dairyfree shakes. The contents of the shake tub (coconut ice cream and fresh fruit / vegan chocolate) simply need to be blended for 20 seconds with 200ml of oat or soya milk to produce a plant-based vanilla, strawberry or chocolate shake. Wholesale price £18.65 for 18 x 250ml frozen tubs. RRP £4.50. projuice.co.uk

Ubley-based Kinetic Kitchen has reinvented the refined sugar- and carb-laden doughnut to align with today’s more health-conscious lifestyles. Made with almond flour, the KETOnut is both low carb and high protein. RRPs start from £18 for a fully recyclable box of six Original KETOnuts, with flavours such as Chocolate Orange, Gingernut and PecanButter+ also available. kinetickitchen.co.uk

The hot honey trend is heating up and the latest entrant to this space is WilderBee Hot Honey. Originally created by chef Dan Shearman to add to his street food truck menu, this versatile hot sauce infuses organic wildflower honey with fresh chillies. It can be drizzled on pizza, fried chicken, cheese or ice cream. RRP £8.99 for 350g. wilderkitchenfood.com

Cafés looking to expand their repertoires of freefrom treats should check out Brutally Honest Bakery’s new range of vegan, gluten-free fudge brownies. The trays of 10 (trade price from £14.50) are stuffed with the bakery’s handmade flavoured fudge. There are three flavours to choose from: Choco Orange Fudge, Triple Choc Fudge or Salted Caramel Fudge Brownie.  brutallyhonestbakery. com

Mr Organic has elevated the humble tinned bean with its International Beans range designed to provide convenient and nutritious plant-based meal options for busy cooks. Featuring internationally-inspired flavours, the five-strong line-up comprises Italian Style Cannellini beans, Brazilian Style Black Beans, Moroccan Style Chickpeas, Mexican Style Beans & Corn, and Green Style Butter Beans. RRP £2.25 per can. mr-organic.com

Booja-Booja’s new

The

Fine de Champagne Chocolate Truffle gift box has just won Gold at the Free From Christmas Awards 2022. The box features 16 chocolate truffles that are made from organic ingredients, as well as being dairy-, gluten- and soya-free. RRP £11.99. boojabooja.com

Crosta & Mollica’s new Vegana Pizza is a celebration of Italian-grown produce, with grilled mushrooms, red onion and broccolini florets scattered on a slow-proved sourdough base that has been wood-fired on lava stone. RRP is £5.25 for either 2 x 251g pizzeta or 1 x 498g pizza. crostamollica.com

latest creation to come out of Yorkshire’s Side Oven Bakery is Winter Indulgence Organic Granola with Chocolate, Orange & Almond. Gently toasted with blossom honey, this granola juxtaposes fruity citrus with almond and dark chocolate. RRP £5.35 for a 400g 100% biodegradable pack.   sideoven.com

York producer Tofoo is on a mission to prove that tofu does not have to be soggy and tasteless. Its latest piece of evidence is its frozen pre-cubed Straight to Wok range: prediced cubes coated in spices and cornflour, making it easier to make quick meals with tofu. The cubes are ready in just 10 minutes, as they can be added to the pan from frozen and stir-fried, or baked in the oven.

“More consumers than ever are scratch cooking but are still looking for products that can be ready quickly while still delivering on taste,” says brand manager Kirsty Jones. “Straight to Wok removes the faff and fiddling prep associated with cooking with tofu.”

They come in three organic, vegan flavours: Ginger & Chilli, Sriracha and Teriyaki. RRP £3 for a 280g pack. tofoo.co.uk

Following the success of his signature TiramisUGO, which has sold more than 60,000 units since its launch in 2018, Italian born Ugo Massabo, aka The Cornish Italian, has adapted his late father’s original family recipe for vegan diets. Created in partnership with Rosemullion Distillery, this dairy-free dessert is said to have the same light and creamy consistency as a classic tiramisu. cornishitalian.com

While canned jackfruit is a vegan staple, Ausha claims to be the only brand in the UK to be selling organic jackfruit powder as an ingredient for baking porridge, cereals and smoothies. Rich in fibre, iron and other minerals, the glutenfree powder is made from raw green unripe fruit and certified by the Soil Association and Vegan Society. RRP £7.45 for 250g; trade price £4.95. ausha.co.uk

Created by Dr Megan Rossi, new Bio&Me GutLoving Porridge sachets provide a serving of highfibre instant porridge, containing 13 fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and spices that have been selected with the biome in mind. They are available in two vegan varieties: Apple & Cinnamon and Super Seedy & Nutty. RRP £2.65/ pack (6 x 35g sachets). bioandme.co.uk

Solkiki has joined forces with the National Hemp Service to develop a “calming” new vegan chocolate bar with full spectrum CBD oil and organic adaptogenic mushrooms.

Adaptogens and CBD are both natural substances that are believed to help the body and mind relax and adapt to stress.

Made with rare Cacao of Excellence, sourced direct from farmers in Costa Esmeraldas, this bar contains adaptogenic mushrooms that are said to complement CBD’s calming effects. It also features notes of pineapple from organic ‘Pineapple Chunk’ cannabis terpenes which are said to aid CBD absorption and contribute to the flavour.

Each bar is handcrafted in micro-batches in a Dorset workshop powered completely by renewable energy. RRP £12.99; trade price £6.49.  solkiki.co.uk

Rare & Pasture has launched what it claims are the UK’s first organic beef Frankfurter. Available in Curry and Original flavours, these Germanstyle sausages are made at the company’s smokery on Fowlescombe Farm in south Devon. They contain no artificial additives, preservatives or allergens – just finely chopped native-breed meat that has been seasoned and woodsmoked. RRP £6.95 for a pack of six. rareandpasture.com

New from The Free From Bakehouse, Peanut Butter Date Caramel Cups promise guilt-free, vegan indulgence. A digestivestyle teff biscuit base is topped with soft date caramel combined with crunchy peanut butter and maple syrup, then covered with sugar-free 72% dark chocolate and roasted salted peanuts. RRP £6.507.50 for a pack of two; wholesale price £3.10. thefreefrombakehouse. com

Spotting a gap in the market for healthy and tasty on-the-go plantbased food options, ChicP has teamed its flagship hummus with breadsticks in a new snack pack format. The pack has an RRP of £2-2.10 for 150g (trade price £1.40) and can be supplied with sweet potato falafel instead of breadsticks for a gluten-free option. chicp.co.uk

Food Thoughts has expanded its vegan home-baking options with the launch of Oat Mylk Chocolate Chips. Made from 43% fairly traded single origin Fino de Aroma beans, the plant-based choc chips are available in 500g and 1kg bags with an RRP of £14-£25. foodthoughts.co.uk

Ginger Bakers has responded to customer requests for a vegan, alcohol-free fruit cake, with the development of its Vegan Fruit & Nut Cake. This spiced tea-time cake is packed full of vine fruits, pecans, almonds and maple syrup, and finished with a glazed nut topping. RRP £9.50. gingerbakers.co.uk

Sweet Freedom’s new Choc Pot Caramel spread is said to deliver “all of the goodies and none of the nasties”. The vegan, palm oil free spread is made from Fairtrade cocoa and cocoa butter, so its calorie content is said to be 44% lower than mainstream brands. RRP £3.20 for 250g. sweetfreedomshop.co.uk

Helen Browning’s has branched out beyond its core organic pork and beef product range with the launch of an organic gin. Distilled locally using pears, sea buckthorn, elderflower and rosemary from the brand’s Wiltshire farm, this London Dry style gin is sold in recycled glass bottles, with a refill pouch available. RRP £45 (70cl bottle), £30 (50cl refill pouch). helenbrowningsorganic. co.uk

Mergulo has set out to bust the myth that plant-based butters lack substance and taste, with a trio of vegan butters that are said to be rich, thick and creamy. Unlike many dairy alternatives, the butters don’t rely on additives or emulsifiersthey are made from 100% natural ingredients and already listed with Whole Foods, Planet Organic and Harrods. RRP £3.99. mergulo.com

Craft beer brand UNLTD is hoping its new canned range of non-alcoholic (0.5% ABV) beers will appeal to the ever increasing number of health-conscious consumers. Both the Lager and IPA are low in calories (23 and 13 respectively) and gluten-free. The addition of B vitamins means they are also isotonic. Wholesale price £12.50 for 12 x 330ml cans. unltd.beer

Reformed Characters is setting out its stall as a maker of “bold botanical alcohol-free drinks for healthy hedonists looking to take a break from booze”. The brand’s first three drinks – Herbaceous Character, The Dark & Decadent Character and The Bittersweet Character are low in calories and sugar and free from additives and preservatives. reformedcharacters.com

Half the calories of alcoholic cocktails

Green Gold, the newest addition to the OMGTea matcha tea family, is the brand’s highest grade. This super premium organic matcha is made exclusively with leaves from the first harvest which have been selected from the top third of the plant. It combines leaves from different plants and tea fields in the same way grapes of different varieties are combined to create some wines. RRP £42.95.

omgteas.co.uk

Following a successful rollout in The Netherlands, The Flower Farm – a new palm-oil free, plant-based margarine – is launching in Booths in the UK. Instead of using palm oil, the new margarine uses shea butter extracted from the nuts of the karité tree, which grows naturally in the African Savannah, with no deforestation required. RRP £2.95 for 450g. theflowerfarm.world

Wetherby distiller Bax Botanics has taken its signature alcohol-free spirits and pre-mixed them with classic light tonic in an ready-todrink canned format. The Smooth Sea Buckthorn & Tonic and Zingy Lemon Verbena & Tonic 0% ABV cocktails contain just 49 calories per 250ml can, providing a light, refreshing, non-alcoholic alternative to a G&T. RRP £2.40 per can. baxbotanics.com

Just So Italian has a range of non-alcoholic Balsamic Gins. The importer’s balsamic vinegar producer has distilled three expressions – White, Orange and Reserve –using a blend of seven botanicals (including juniper, rosemary, blood orange and rhubarb), along with Balsamic Condiment. The gins are available in 250ml and 500ml bottles, with respective RRPs of £13.99 and £24.95. justsoitalian.co.uk

Since launching Highball Alcohol-Free Cocktails at the end of 2019, founder Kate Johnson says she has consistently been asked by the trade for a gift format. This request has now been met with a gift pack that brings together four of the brand’s best-selling cocktails: Mojito, Pink G&T, Classic G&T and Italian Spritz. RRP £11.99; trade price £46.08 for a case of six. highballcocktails.com

With the belief that no-one following a plant-based diet need miss out on mayo, The Wasabi Company has released its Vegan Mayonnaise Collection. With an RRP of £11.50 for 3 x 175g jars (trade price £8), the gift set contains its Vegan Wasabi, Yuzu and Miso condiments. thewasabicompany.co.uk

Grain & Bowl says its Choc Orange is its most indulgent granola flavour yet. Jumbo oats, almonds, crystallised ginger, orange and Belgian dark chocolate all star in this gluten-free, plant-based, high fibre recipe. RRP £6.50 for a 300g recyclable pouch. Trade price £3.95. grainandbowl.com

Jingle Berry Punch is Lakeland Artisan’s take on a traditional winter cordial, with lightly spiced winter berries. It can be diluted with hot water or mixed with lemonade or sparkling water. RRP £4.40 per bottle; trade price £22.60 for a case of 12 bottles. lakelandartisan.co.uk

Pitched as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages, Booyah Vitality’s kombuchas come in Lemon & Ginger, Orange & Cinnamon, Cucumber, Mint & Lime and Lemon Iced Tea. RRP £3.50£5.50, depending on size. booyahvitality.co.uk

Cayenne is the surprise ingredient that gives Nix & Kix’s range of 45% juice carbonated adult soft drinks an alcohol-free kick. The latest flavour, Raspberry & Rhubarb, is now available to the trade in 750ml glass bottles (RRP £2.95).

nixandkix.com

The 2023 UK show calendar opens at the SEC in Glasgow with the only food trade event taking place north of the border – from 22nd to 24th January

Six reasons to visit… Scotland’s Speciality Food Show

Embrace the new

Among the new brands and products appearing at the show will be The Sweetie Jar with its traditional sweets, NEST with a range of Greek items, Persie Gin and Yorkshire-based The Bottled Baking Company. The Launch Gallery, which runs in the centre of the Show, will showcase a variety of new start-ups.

Discover Scotland’s regions

The regional stands should be a big draw this year. Orkney, a show stalwart, will take a large stand with companies such as Deerness Distillery, Stockan’s Oatcakes, and The Orkney Creamery. Food from Argyll’s stand will host a wealth of producers, such as Kintyre Gin, Isle of Mull Cheese and Islay Cocoa.

Add some value

The Talking Shop area has a full timetable of panel discussions and masterclasses on business skills. Topics will include social media & e-commerce, creating visitor experiences and retail trends. Don’t miss the session on the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), or any of the action from Nessie’s Den, which will be putting emerging suppliers to the test.

Locate the best

The Best Product Awards will be judged by a great line-up of experts – Lorna McNee (head chef at one Michelin star Glasgow restaurant, Cail Bruich), Callum Nimmo (buyer, Tesco Scotland), Panny Laing (Logie Steading & Farm Shop) and FFD’s own deputy editor Tanwen DawnHiscox. The winning products with go on display at the centre of the Show.

The only one

This is the only trade fine food & drink show in Scotland and many of the long-standing exhibitors only exhibit here. Come and see new ranges from producers such as Scotia Spice, Stewart Tower Dairy, Summerhouse Drinks, Little Doone, Chocolate Tree, Crystals Shortbread, Edinburgh Tea & Coffee and winemaker Cairn O’Mhor.

More than just food

Scotland’s Speciality Food Show is run in conjunction with Scotland’s Trade Fair Spring, where some 400 suppliers will be showcasing gifts, textiles, homewares, jewellery and crafts.

To find out more and register for your tickets, visit: scotlandstradefairs.com

The Farm Shop & Deli Product Awards will return in 2023. Find out more at: farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

Where the specialist retail sector meets

Informing, inspiring and connecting the industry

The 2023 Retailer Awards are all about showcasing the regional champions. If you’re a specialist retailer looking to enter, or a supplier looking to sponsor an Award, find out more at: farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/awards

We look forward to April 2023 when the industry comes together at the UK Food & Drink Shows, encompassing Farm Shop & Deli Show, Food & Drink Expo, National Convenience Show and Foodex Manufacturing Solutions.

Find out more at: farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

This is a trade event. No under 18s will be admitted.

Whitebox Cocktails adds Margaritas to range of pre-mixed premiums

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

As Britain’s affinity for tequila continues its upward trend, Whitebox Cocktails has introduced a margarita to its premixed premium drinks range.

The 19% ABV cocktail, branded as Squeezy’s Margarita, is made the classic way –combining tequila with triple sec, lime juice and a touch of salt, and comes in a trendy looking 10cl can.

Since they took on the challenge of creating bar quality cocktails for retail, the seasoned drinks industry professionals behind Whitebox have developed a negroni, a martini, an old fashioned, a boulevardier, a limited edition mezcal margarita and two longer drinks: Disco Baby, made with vodka and watermelon & thyme soda, and Hippy Fizz, which features gin, patchouli and tropical shrub soda.

Co-founder Alex Lawrence said that while perfecting the latest recipe had been “quite the journey”, it was worth the wait.

“If we are going to put our name to a Margarita, we wanted to make sure it actually tasted like a proper one we would be happy to serve to our pals.”

Fellow co-founder Ben Iravani added: “Tequila is one of the fastest growing spirits categories in the UK right now and the Margarita is well on its way to becoming one of the nation’s favourite cocktails too. With Squeezy’s Margarita, as with all of our drinks, we wanted to replicate the quality and taste of a bar quality cocktail in a ready-to-pour format

Single estate Wild Roiboos is the latest addition to Nazani Tea’s range of ethically sourced, handpicked infusions. Grown on Bloemfontein Farm and Nature Reserve in South Africa, which is owned by the Heiveld cooperative of indigenous farmers, the Roiboos plant was selected for being a perennial. This ensures that it grows back year after year and that it is resistant to droughts and wildfires, promising sustainable income for the growers. It is hand cut, fermented and sterilised according to local regulations, giving it its distinctive colour and taste. Available in 100g bags, caddies and 250g catering pouches. POA for trade prices. nazanitea.co

that cocktail aficionados will love”.

RRP £30 per six cans. Current stockists include Hackney Essentials in London, Alpha Bottle Shop in Bristol, Cork & Cask in Edinburgh and Wee Beer Shop, Glasgow. whiteboxcocktails.com

WHAT’S NEW

Branching out from its usual base of chefs and bakers, Yorkshire brand Bonilla Vanilla is seeking distributors for a new consumer range of vanilla products. Its Pure extract is made with 50g of beans a litre and priced at £3.50 a bottle. The stronger, Intense extract contains 100g of beans per litre and has an RRP of £4.50, as does the 50g jar of Vanilla Bean Paste. bonilla-vanilla.com

Italian food brand Crosta & Mollica is stepping into the ready meal game with the introduction of four pasta dishes. The Al Forno range includes two types of lasagne (one with meat and the other vegetarian), an aubergine parmigiana and a seafood linguine. RRP £5 per 400g. crostamollica.com

Drawing on Kentish traditions past, the recently restored Maidstone Distillery has developed a barrel-aged fruit spirit. Kipsi Rosé Gin is matured in oak-casks then blended with local Morello and dark cherries, strawberries and raspberries, resulting in a drink the distillers hope will show the Garden of England’s soft fruits in their best light. RRP £42 for a 70cl bottle. themaidstonedistillery.com

Counter points Caviar

• Caviar is a broad term for the salted, fresh eggs of large fish.

• The best caviar is from sturgeons, found in every ocean and such fresh water as the Gironde, the Great Lakes, the Mississippi and China’s Amur River.

• Caviar from fish other than sturgeon must be prefixed with the fish’s name.

• All wild sturgeons are endangered and protected –there are strict limits on export of ‘wild’ caviar.

• Caviar is now farmed worldwide, from Exmoor in the UK’s West Country to Germany, France, USA, Uruguay, Russia and China.

• Caviar was best known from the Russian and Iranian shores of the Caspian Sea;

the traditional species were the beluga, oscietra and sevruga.

• China now produces more than half of the world’s sturgeon caviar.

• Caviar should not be touched with any metal other than gold; use bone, shell, semi-precious stone, wood or plastic.

• Air and heat diminish caviar quickly.

Paley Photography

WHAT’S NEW

What happens when a Baltimorean moves to the UK with a hankering for pretzels? An elevated take on the classic American snack, Britzels sourdough pretzel pieces come in a Cinnamon Kick kind, finished with brown sugar, butter and a touch of cayenne pepper, or Simply Salted. RRP £4.25/100g. britzels.com

Trésor Gourmands is targeting the UK market with its waffle-shaped butter crackers made with 30-40% PDO French cheese - including Comté, Roquefort, Mimolette and Maroilles –no preservatives, palm oil, artificial colours or flavours. RRP £2.60 per 60g, or 50 waffles. lagaufre.fr/English

Just in time for winter, Devon’s Salcombe Brewery Co. has introduced a chocolate stout to its small batch range: Maya, a 4.5% ABV brewed with cacao nibs to complement the caramel and coffee notes in the malt blend. RRP £25 per 6 x cans. salcombebrewery.com

My magic ingredient Delizia Estense Agrodolce di Montegibbio bianco

When you’re used to having something that’s of very high quality, and then you can’t get your hands on it, that’s when you notice how good it is.

A salad dressing without it, for me, is not a salad dressing.

The other thing I think it’s brilliant with is just finely chopped shallots for oysters. You don’t really need anything else, because it’s quite concentrated.

We sell very few items other than cheese, but all the things that we do sell have come to us through our travels or relationships. In the case of the Agrodolce, it comes from Zingerman’s, one of the most dynamic specialist food businesses in America, in Ann Arbour, Michigan.

We sell loads of it. Our customers have been buying it for 25 years. It’s not just a magic ingredient for me, it’s a magic ingredient for a hell of a lot of people that come into our shop.

10 Acre relaunches HFSS-compliant crisp range under Fairfields’ wing

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Snack brand 10 Acre has relaunched its crisp range with new packaging, flavours, and a marketing message highlighting its products’ “healthier” credentials.

The self-styled “Free-From Plus” brand has been working on the new products since being acquired by Colchester-based crisp firm Fairfields Farm in January 2018.

The five new lines all feature messaging promoting their gluten-free, vegan and low-fat credentials, as well as flagging up compliance with HFSS laws.

The new range of potato crisps comes in Cheese & Onion, Cheesy Chilli, Fried Chicken, Sea Salt and BBQ Beef flavours. All of them come in shareable 135g and 35g single serve bags (RRP £2.30 and 90p, respectively).

Though the previous range is still available for sale in retail and on the company’s website, the

new branding and flavours are now being phased in and will eventually replace their predecessors entirely.

The crisps’ new look was created by artist Susan Burg to reflect the company’s sustainable credentials: recyclable packaging, produce grown on a farm reliant on renewable energy, fitted with an anaerobic digester, and water storage providing protected habitats for wildlife.

Robert Strathern, co-owner of Fairfields Farm said: “We’re never ones to shy away from a challenge, so when the new HFSS legislation was announced, everyone thought it would be impossible to have a fried crisp that would not compromise on flavour, yet here we are.

“The new 10 Acre branding gives a subtle nod to nature and sustainability, marking our commitment to being carbon neutral and running the farm for the benefit of the future, not just for now.” tenacresnacks.co.uk

Sharpham Dairy has teamed up with The Fresh Flour Co. to create a range of crackers, as well as extending its offering of chutneys. The own-brand sourdough crackers, in Original and Rosemary & Sea Salt flavours have an RRP of £3.50 RRP.

The British Bramley Apple & Hunts Wobbler Cider Chutney is sharp, tangy and lightly spiced, and best paired with soft cheeses like camembert. The Ploughman’s Hunters Elmhirst Ale Chutney – inspired, like the Sharpham cheese of the same name, by entrpreneurs Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst – is said to go well with cheese, cold meats and pies. Both chutneys cost £4.50 RRP per 220g jar. sharphamcheese.co.uk

JASON HINDS Co-owner, Neal’s Yard Dairy

A salad dressing without it, for me, is not a salad dressing.

MEET THE PRODUCER

WHAT’S NEW

[What were you doing before you started Hundred House Coffee, and how did it come about?

Matt and I founded HHC six years ago. We’re both East Londoners. Post-graduation, I set up an art gallery. We went to the Middle East and worked on non-profit studio projects there, Matt propelled a speciality roastery from doing very small volumes to really huge volumes.

We wanted to move back to the UK and we wanted to do a project togethersomething that we could afford. It was our own investment, we didn’t have any backers, it was our own savings.

We had a connection to this area, so we picked a green patch, found a barn at very good value, and we started the roastery.

What allowed you to prosper as a company?

Getting our first wholesale customer was a game changer. We had a small local to Ludlow, who were taking a few retail bags, then CSONS in Shrewsbury switched from a really big UK roaster to us. Once we had that big first customer, the others started coming in, because we had a point of reference.

Matt is an international roaster, so they were really pleased to support us and really pleased to see someone doing something like that in the area, bringing that contemporary approach to coffee to the region - which hasn’t been that easy.

A lot of our coffees are quite experimental, our farmers use different yeasts and fermentations, or we’ll roast lighter on a lot of the coffees, so we had people trying coffee on markets expecting a really dark roast because that’s what they’re used to - the bitter almost medicinal experience - then they try it and go, ‘ugh, that’s disgusting, it tastes like orange juice.’

But then you’d have the whole other range of people who were like, ‘oh, this is super exciting’.

How did you bring your understanding of art into the mix?

We were a bit worried at first because we needed to make sure the coffee was our main business and the coffee is what funds

everything else, so that needs to be spot on, that cannot be questioned. People who look to us know that the quality is there.

Can you talk to us about some of the programmes you set up?

We started with education programmes around food.

Matt is a deeply creative person and he gets a lot of validation from coffee roasting, even though it’s a very repetitive process. I think a lot of people decide that they want to get into coffee roasting and don’t realise, actually it’s an industrial process and it’s very repetitive, and it can be quite boring for a lot of people. Matt knows how to roast completely analog, which a lot of people don’t know how to do anymore, and I feel like our quality is really great for that reason.

We wanted to bring that into a classroom. There are a lot of cuts in funding for arts in schools and we felt that this is something really tangible. We also have a belief that businesses should feed into the education system and we had the most incredible response

from teachers, just saying they wished more local businesses would do this.

Then there’s our Freak + Unique range. What an incredible time in speciality coffee.

Farmers are diversifying the processes that they’re using with coffees, the yeasts that are being brought in, new infusions of fruits. We were just coming across coffees like beautiful washed Ethiopians and Kenyans and suddenly had these stand-out, strange, extraordinary microlots coming through. They almost do sit separate to the rest of the single origins that we do. So then we were able to showcase what artists that we’ve been working with can do.

We commission an artist for each coffee making it accessible with something really visually fun that stands out, and living up to what the farmer’s been doing with the beans.

Going forward, as we move into a new space with a bit more room, we’re hoping to have a lot more platforms to do more art programming - art, music, more public facing, being able to bring the community in. hundredhousecoffee.com

Move over, Manuka: West Australian producer Honey For Life is seeking distribution partners for its premium honeys with antimicrobial properties (known as Total Activity) as high as Manuka honey. Its most popular item is Jarrah, a TA35+ dark amber honey with earthy notes of resin and a caramel finish. RRP £15-25 per 500g jar. honeyforlife.co.uk

Marine supply store Arthur Beale has created a Seaweed & Samphire gin inspired by the flavours of the sea and the natural affinity between the navy and the spirit. The spirit, the company says, is vivid, complex and smooth on the palate with a long clean finish. The bottle is decorated with a map of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance voyage, magnified through the bottle. RRP £39.95, or £22.95 for trade. With a set of enamel tumblers, RRP £59.95 or £45.95 for trade. arthurbeale.co.uk

The African Foodie is entering the UK market with a range sauces and relishes inspired by the cuisines of Libya and Tunisia: Berber Harissa, the increasingly popular chilli sauce, as a base for stews and sauces, or simply spread on bread; Shakshuka, the spiced tomato and vegetable sauce, which, cooked with eggs make a complete dish; Omek Houria, a spicy carrot and coriander relish and Mashwiya, the spicy Libyan vegetable mix. RRP £3.50-4.50.

facebook.com/TheAfricanFoodie

The new owners of The Brontë Liqueur Company have created a range of literaryinspired small batch gin, rum and vodka using the original liqueur as a base.

The collection will be flavoured with blackberry, sloes, honey and jasmine, combined with citrus and heathers in the gin, vanilla and nutmeg in the rum. The vodka will be wild-berry based.

In an ode to Yorkshire, the bottles have been playfully named Where’s Tha Bin gin, Ey Up Cocker vodka and Ee Bah Gum rum. RRP £35 per 70cl bottle. brontedrinks.co.uk

Anabelle de Gersigny and Matthew Wade have a unique outlet for their knowledge of contemporary arts and speciality coffee in Hundred House Coffee

Interview

They come for the Wright’s stuff

THE TERM ‘DESTINATION’ is used quite often when it comes to conversations with independent retailers, particularly those who are in more rural areas. A large farm shop on a busy A-road will tell you about how they snare punters with a combination of foodservice, retail and entertainment. That deli in a chic little market town will use it when explaining how they attract and retain customers from a steady stream of passers-by.

You would think that a former pub in deepest Carmarthenshire – north of where the M4 terminates and the roads quickly become tracks barely wide enough for one car – must stretch

VITAL STATISTICS

Location: Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire sa32 8ju

No of staff: 9

Average spend: £17-£20 (café), £30 (retail)

Average margin: 40% (retail), 70% (café)

the concept into the realms of fantasy.

But when FFD arrives at Wright’s Food Emporium in the village of Llanarthe, there are already five vehicles in the car park and a queue forming at the door – no less than 10 minutes before opening time on a Thursday lunchtime.

“I think people thought we were a bit crazy because it’s in the middle of nowhere,” says Maryann Wright. Thankfully, she and husband Simon’s track record as restaurateurs, including setting up the highly regarded eatery Y Polyn just down the road, ensured that customers were there as soon as the doors opened in 2014.

“Luckily, because we had people that already

came to our restaurants, we had a following and it became a destination. Having the café helps a lot because customers have something nice to eat, and then they shop.

“It’s rare that people come for lunch and leave with nothing.”

This model clearly serves them well but that doesn’t mean running the business has been all plain sailing for the Wrights, especially during the last couple of years. That said, the couple has clearly managed to adapt – most notably shortening their opening hours and condensing their menus – without compromising on their original mission to offer good value, locally

After cutting down its opening hours and its menu, Wright’s Food Emporium still continues to draw customers to its very rural spot in Carmarthenshire. It’s a testament to its owners’ resolute local focus, industry nous, and one very special sandwich.

by Michael Lane Photos by Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

produced food to everyone and anyone that makes the trip out to their place.

When they bought the building from the Brains brewery back in 2013, it was far from the rustic, cosy space FFD enters on a rainy November day. Maryann recalls that there was damage from burst water pipes and, even though it had closed three years prior, there were still pint glasses on the bar when they viewed it.

“It was sad and really unloved but you could see it had nice features, like the floors, and it’s a beautiful building from outside,” says Maryann. “So, we scraped the money together and thought, let’s go for it.”

Having worked in the restaurant business since the ’90s, the couple had intended for Wright’s Food Emporium to be a slower-paced, retail-led business and had forecast 50:50 sales split between their shop and café.

“The main focus was supposed to be on the shop, with a little bit of space to have coffee, cake and a sandwich,” says Maryann, adding that they opened with just the front section of the building. “And yet the demand has always been for meals, which takes a lot more staff, a lot more effort and a lot more everything. But that’s what people want.”

The one consolation for the Wrights was that they certainly knew the restaurant game. Not only had they set up several award-winning dining establishments in the area over the preceding two decades, but Simon had also been a reviewer for the AA Restaurant Guide and a consultant for Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares TV show.

And in spite of customers’ desire to eat on the premises, Wrights still managed to be different from previous businesses.

“Even 10 years ago if you came out for dinner you were committing to £50 a head with wine, and you see a certain audience and there’s nothing wrong with that,” says Simon. “But the reason we did this is we wanted to be accessible to a wider group of people.

“Some of the people who come in here are not well-off but they decide to treat themselves every two weeks to a couple of hours here, hopefully an

amazing sandwich, a piece of cake, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. And they leave having spent £15-£20 a head.”

He is quick to acknowledge that a large proportion of the population wouldn’t be able to even stretch to this, but Simon Wright is adamant that good food should be accessible to everyone. He is also extremely conscious that price is not the only barrier and can eloquently summarise the issues with the food system in both Wales and the wider UK.

It’s very rare that you meet a deli owner that can reel off so many stats. Simon can break down the annual costs of treating Type 2 diabetes in Wales, quotes the percentage of agricultural production devoted to the meat export market and dissect the overall value that the Welsh Government puts on the food & drink sector.

A good deal of this engagement is down to his day job as a professor at the University of Wales Trinity St David, where he is charged with developing all manner of food courses and projects on the Lampeter campus. But his macro concerns also drive the approach at Wright’s.

“I’m of the view, like many people, that we need a more localised system. That’s what’s going to get us through.

“But at the moment, it’s a chicken-andegg situation with critical mass. You’ve got to have enough quality food to put it in front of the public and at the moment, all over the UK, we suffer and don’t have enough of an offering, particularly with locally produced fruit and veg.”

While this might all seem very theoretical, all of the thinking behind Wright’s is actually summed up very neatly (and deliciously) in one knock-out sandwich. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this establishment’s take on a Cubano is the stuff of legend.

Each generous pillowy ciabatta, baked on site, contains a combination of local pork belly, Hafod cheddar, ham from Myrddin Heritage, sriracha mayo and bread & butter pickles.

Customers regularly travel further than you

Wright’s Catsup

Hazelwell Farm Organic Beef Mince

Peter’s Yard Original Crispbread

James Gourmet Coffee Formula 6 Espresso

Mryddin Heritage Fennel Sausages

Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice

Ultracomida Spanish Salted Almonds

Marisa Olive Oil Crisps

Jin Talog Original Gin

The Kernel Table Beer

Wright’s Focaccia

Hafod Cheddar

Coedcanlas Wild Welsh Honey

Waterloo Tea Earl Grey

MUST-STOCKS

Simon & Maryann Wright

would expect to eat this creation and it is rarely taken off the menu.

While the Cubano embodies the local and quality ethos at Wright’s (“We only sell things and serve things we like,” says Maryann. “We wouldn’t sell something because it sells well.”), it is also another tick against the shop’s destination strategy.

The customer base is broad – friends meeting for coffee, young mums stopping for a slice of cake, elderly dog walkers taking a pitstop and the sphere of influence is also wide for such a geographically remote site.

Roughly equidistant from Carmarthern and Llandeilo, Wright’s is on the road that links the two towns, so it courts plenty of truly local customers. There’s a decent amount of trade from passing tourists during school holidays. And, regardless of the time of year, people will travel from as far away as Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol, whether it’s for one of those sandwiches or the shop’s curated mix of modern branded items: its range of biodynamic wines (supplied by their son’s company Wright’s Wines) or the items that are made on site, such as the best-selling Catsup tomato sauce – an homage to the Wrights’ sadly deceased cat of two decades, Castro.

Pre-pandemic, the site was impressively busy. Thanks to a dizzying 1,500 covers a week,

plus the retail sales, Wright’s was turning over in excess of £1m. The flipside of this is the business had 15 full-time staff and was barely turning a profit.

The arrival of Covid, of course, changed things dramatically. Given the guidance on closures and furlough scheme, the Wrights were able to step back and considered going into hibernation before deciding to press on with a team of four (including them) and sell via delivery and click & collect. The legacy of the pandemic has been different, though.

“It made us reassess exactly what we were doing,” says Maryann. “It had got bonkers here and there were so many staff.”

The business now operates with reduced opening hours (Thursday-Sunday, 22 hours in total) – which equates just their weekend hours before 2020 – and the café menu has been reduced from a vast blackboard to just a single sheet of paper.

Simon recalls his time scouting candidates for Kitchen Nightmares when explaining the decision to pare things down.

“I’d say to them: ‘How much do you need to take to break even each week?’ and I don’t think there was a single occasion that someone could answer it. And that’s just a back of the envelope calculation.

“When are you busy? Why are you open when you’re not busy? What are you selling and what are you not selling? You do need to do that thinking because so many of us are busy fools.”

Given their strong brand and their altered business model now ticking along nicely (average weekly sales are £9,000), you might think the Wrights could see themselves opening more branches. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

“We don’t need more chains, we need more independents,” says Simon. “I’ve been in places that have names of top chefs above the door and I think ‘I wonder what conversation we’d be having if they were sat in front of me eating what I’m eating’.”

“We’re not saintly, it’s just a decision that we’ve made.”

The big question for the couple is actually how long they’re going to stick at it after more than three decades in food and hospitality, and their sons not wanting to take the wheel.

You get the impression that they’re not willing to walk away from this place just yet.

“Hopefully we’ll find a successor at some point,” says Simon. “This could be turned into flats but I don’t want it to be that. It should be what it is. And I think it represents something that could happen elsewhere.”

wrightsfood.co.uk

I think people thought we were a bit crazy because it’s in the middle of nowhere

Every gin in our range belongs on the top shelf.

(Not that they stay there very long.)

silentpooldistillers.com

Justifiably extravagant.

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

WORLD CHEESE THIS year was an enormous tonic. In a sea of downturn, economic upheaval and political pantomime, the love for cheese and its community was evident in our 2,000 square metre dairy showcase in Wales.

And it wasn’t just that love that filled our tanks. The judging process identified 98 Super Golds; 328 Golds; 583 Silvers and 839 Bronzes from the entries, which will help to promote and celebrate

from the guild of fine food

cheesemakers everywhere.

The highlight? Seeing judges from 38 different nations filing into the arena past the Welsh choir, Only Boys Aloud, to strong and proud Celtic harmonies. The ex-Britain’s Got Talent finalists created a social media opportunity and therefore a scrum of judges, reminiscent of the throng of a football bar in a dubious corner of Qatar, a Currys electrical outlet on 1st January, or indeed, on Black Friday.

As I write, the dreaded event looms. How on earth do we stop this materialistic, wasteful, profit spike for big retailers? The idea of saving money at a difficult time is laudable, but I’m not convinced it helps many struggling households. In fact, I would warrant the opposite.

My friend and fellow Independent Retail Confederation board member Meryl Hall recently had a cracking idea: ‘Civilised Saturday’.

A chance to shop in independent retailers and encourage stimulating shopping experiences, without the rugby

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

THE POLITICAL TURMOIL we have seen over the last few months has confirmed that Britain is in a state of “permacrisis”, the Collins Dictionary word of the year. Liz Truss’ short-lived premiership compounded the nation’s challenges, leading to financial markets losing more confidence in Britain. The new Prime Minister is now left to rebuild confidence in the Government and the country.

Beyond the financial detriment to the economy, businesses have been left in a state of paralysis over policy decisions that will have serious implications over the coming years. The Government has a long to-do list, including the future of the energy bill relief

scheme, business rates revaluations, implementing a deposit return scheme and addressing health disparities.

You may consider these policy decisions inconsequential compared to tough choices on public sector spending cuts, but if Britain’s economy is going to recover quickly, it will be in part through businesses having the confidence to invest.

We will be measuring the government’s ability to turn events around according to three pillars.

The Chancellor must reassure markets, but he also needs to demonstrate support for business, requiring certainty on key policy decisions.

Secondly, in making these tough decisions, can the Conservative party remain united? I imagine that the looming 2024

news from the guild of fine food

analogy. ‘Civilised’ might not get any traction nationally, as it will be viewed as elitist, but perhaps ‘Sensible Saturday’ would hit the mark.

Great Taste 2023 entry dates

The Members’ Fortnight for entries will run between 9th – 23rd January 2023 followed by general admissions between 23rd January and 7th February. To find out more, visit gff.co.uk/greattaste

The message would be to buy on your high street from retailers who know their subject, offer worthy things for a fair price and better circulate the local pound. That’s saner than having your face pressed against an end of isle gondola in a fight for a slighty bigger TV - and it is certainly more sensible than navigating the logistics of 4,434 cheeses from 42 countries for the judging pleasure of 250 experts in one big room in Newport.

General Election would focus minds on unity, but we live in strange times.

Finally, the rise of Labour as a government in waiting. Sir Keir Starmer’s party is in a confident mood, leading in the polls and increasing the profile of its policy offer. For the food industry specifically, proposals to set up supply chain resilience task forces and to scrap and redesign the business rates system are promising. Labour has the potential to push the Government in new policy directions and gain further credibility.

For the whole country’s sake, I hope that the new PM can get a grip of all these issues and perhaps take a leaf out of Joe Biden’s bookto make politics boring again.

Great Taste Markets 2023

As well as the usual favourites, some new shows have been added for 2023, including: the Scottish Game Fair, the Welsh Game Fair and The Big Feastival. See the full list on our website at: gff.co.uk/markets or email the team for further information at: opportunities@gff.co.uk

Forthcoming training at the Guild

We have received a huge number of enquiries about our Retail Cheese training and will be releasing dates for 2023 soon.Keep an eye on our website for updates at: gff.co.uk/retailcheese or email bookings@gff.co.uk to express your interest.

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

My friend Meryl Hall recently had a cracking idea: ‘Civilised Saturday’